


Ink Paintings

by meanderingmirth



Series: Short Collection [5]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, please check notes for any additional warnings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-06-06 07:06:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 63
Words: 63,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6744406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanderingmirth/pseuds/meanderingmirth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The words will create the world that you decide to see for yourself.</p><p>The third collection of prompts via Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ravi/Hyuk - Open Windows

**Author's Note:**

> prompt: Hey! Prompt: Hyukvi- Ravi's running away from someone and climbs into a strangers bedroom, a stranger that is very hot and very naked. it can be funny or smutty. (Your stories are great and I always want more!)
> 
> 16/04/26

He’d barely slammed the window shut on the sounds of the Raid Squad’s sirens when Wonshik noticed two things: firstly, Jaehwan has either somehow managed to redecorate his whole apartment and replace all of his furniture, wallpaper, and personal belongings in a span of twenty-four hours, or Wonshik has managed to crawl into the wrong apartment.

The latter seems much more likely, because secondly, there is a stranger standing in the doorway of the bed room, hair very wet, general appearance very hot, and is very, very naked overall.

He’s also holding a baseball bat in his hands, and Wonshik pales so fast he thinks all the blood might’ve just run out of his face.

“I think you need to go out from where you just came in, buddy,” the guy says, nonchalant, and Wonshik almost does. Almost.

“No, wait, please, not yet,” he pleads, waving his hands frantically. The red and blue siren lights flash through the window and he shifts away from the glass.

“Uh-uh,” the guy says, jabbing the bat at Wonshik. “You stay right there friend.”

“I will! I will! I won’t move!” Wonshik says, frantic. “Just, I’m so sorry, I miscounted the number of floors, I was in a rush, I thought this was my friend’s place. He lives upstairs.”

The guy stares. “Dude, this is twelfth floor,” he says, incredulous.

“I know,” Wonshik says, eyes darting all over the room, looking from the unmade bed to the charging laptop in the corner of the room to the laundry hamper in the corner of the room— basically anything other than the hot naked stranger. “I’ll be out of your hair in a moment; I just can’t go out through the window again, or I’ll get caught.”

“So you’re the reason why the bot squad is flashing their party lights outside,” the stranger says, sardonic, and Wonshik winces.

“It’s not, honest,” he groans. “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time; they were going after some known crooks and I got tangled up in it. You know how they don’t care who they chase down.”

“Hm. Well, that is true,” the guy nods, contemplative. He drags the bat along as he walks across the room to the grab the soda sitting on his desk, bringing his entire existence much closer to where Wonshik is crouching by the wall. Face heating up, he quickly redirects his gaze to the hardwood floor.

“Don’t you know it’s rude to not make eye contact when you talk to someone?” the guy asks, the amusement in his voice, and Wonshik’s cheeks burn.

“Y-y-you,” he stammers, trying string his words together unsuccessfully. The guy bursts out laughing.

“Here I was, thinking you were some tough ass burglar I’d have to wrestle back out the window,” the guy snorts. Wonshik covers his face, groaning, but before he could say anything else, there’s a loud hammering on the front door, followed by a shout of, “Raid Squad! Open up!”

Wonshik looks up, horrified, but the guy simply clucks his tongue.

“Gah, what a pain,” he mutters, turning on his heel. “Stay here, and don’t make a sound.” He walks languidly out of the bedroom before Wonshik could say anything, showing off a mighty nice backside, and a second later he hears the front door opening and a yell of, “Sir! Please go put some clothes on!”

“Why?” the guy retorts. “You’re the ones pounding on my door for no reason, interrupting my personal time.”

“We are in pursuit of some known criminals,” an officer says. “We need to search your premises.”

“Yeah? Says who? I sure hope you’re not going to try and bring those bots in,” the guy says. “I know you guys like to think us commoners aren’t all that bright, but there are plenty of laws stating raid squad bots aren’t allowed into housing property, with or without officer accompaniment. And sucks to be you guys, ‘cause I actually own this place, which makes it a _private_  housing property, so I could actually call in your overseeing supervisor and file a strong-worded complaint. And we don’t want that tonight, do we, hm?”

Silence follows his words, and a moment later, the guy snort. “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he adds, and shuts the door with a bang.

Wonshik stays frozen, ears perked up for any sounds of resistance or anger, but a moment later there’s just footsteps and the guy returns, still naked, still holding his bat, but grinning.

“Piece of cake,” he comments, tossing the bat into the hamper. “How’s that for problem solving?”

“Incredible,” Wonshik admits, and the guy laughs, snagging a pair of boxers from his bed.

“You’re welcome,” he smirks, dragging the underwear up his legs and snapping the elastic against the faint V-line of his hips. Wonshik turns his head away so fast he thinks he hears his neck crack.

“You know, you could stare at the wall all night,” the stranger comments, and there’s a squeak as he sits down onto the mattress. “Or you could come over and chill with me, I don’t particularly mind. It kind of helps that you climbed into my flat with your butt sticking out the whole time, and I know how to appreciate a nice ass when I see one.”

Wonshik splutters, staring at the stranger with wide eyes. “B-but— I don’t even know your name,” he stammers lamely. The stranger blinks at him again before grinning.

“I’m Sanghyuk,” he says, sliding off the bed. He covers the distance between them easily with long strides and catches Wonshik’s hands, pulling him up. “You don’t have to tell me yours, if you don’t want, but since you’re here anyway, why don’t you stay the night? The bot squad is gonna be wandering around; you don’t want to get caught, do you?”

“No,” Wonshik breathes, aware of how he’s leaning forwards, mesmerized by Sanghyuk’s eyes, and drawn in to the heat coming off of him. “I guess not,” he adds, before Sanghyuk swoops in and presses their mouths together.

“Good,” he whispers, and tugs Wonshik over to the bed.


	2. Ravi/Ken - White Stairs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: prompt: (inspired by the vixx conception trailer) jaehwan as hades and wonsik as persephone (i liked the contrast with jaehwan looking all cold and dominating in white and wonsik looking all innocent and lost in black)
> 
> 16/04/27

His breath came out in ragged, panicked pants as he raced through the underground tunnel, his footsteps clattering against the cold marble tile. The sounds echo along the rounded walls and disappear behind him, swallowed up by the darkness and the unknown.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and Wonshik pursues it relentlessly, lungs whining in pain as he drags in breath after panicked breath, his scarf flapping behind him like bird’s wings.

A little ways behind him, cutting through the cold air, were the mysterious cloaked figures that prowl in darkest corners of the Underworld.

He bursts out of the tunnel, nearly skidding across the floor, and it takes him a moment to regain his balance, arms windmilling desperately. Fine, grainy white sand scatters along the clay ground, and to Wonshik’s horror, he’s reached a dead end. The cavern is a rounded room, and smack in the middle of it are a set of stairs, polished white and winding, climbing upwards to where the light is streaming down from.

Wonshik doesn’t hesitate. He runs, sprinting towards the step, and starts to climb.

The steps are spaced oddly; they’re not high, but they are long, the distance between one stair and the other not quite long enough to accommodate an extra step, but not close enough for him to naturally extend his foot towards. As a result, Wonshik trips and stumbles the whole way up, knees banging against the corners as he runs.

There’s a gust of wind, and when he looks down, he sees the cloaked figures whirling up the steps, one after the other, cutting through the air with ease. There’s so many of them chasing after him up the stairs that Wonshik’s suddenly reminded of a swarm of sharks hounding after a bleeding sea creature. Terror boosts him, and he runs faster, desperately searching for the top.

But the stairs just keep on turning, one after the other, unending, and he’s losing energy fast.

He trips over another step and doesn’t quite get his footing in time, and the next thing Wonshik knows he’s sprawling face first onto the ground, bumping his elbows and smacking his knees painfully into the marble. Groaning, he heaved himself up, but his legs are shaking so terribly from running for so long he can barely stand upright.

The cloaks have caught up, bringing with them a chilling wind, and it seems to freeze the very air in Wonshik’s lungs. Gagging, he throws his arms up, wrestling out of the chaotic whirl of blackness, fear clawing up his throat.

Then there’s whisper by his ear, so soft he almost misses it, and something lands so heavily onto the step above him he feels the entire structure creak and crunch.

Spinning around, Wonshik stares as a familiar figure straightens himself, holding what might be the neck of one of the cloaked figure in one fist before dragging it away from Wonshik and tossing it over the stairs. It falls a confusing distance before landing on the sandy ground, cloak dissolving into ash the moment it touches the floor.

Jaehwan turns away from the wrecked cloak and looks at the others, now clustered on the narrow steps and trying to back away from Wonshik. The lord of the Underworld has arrived, and he is livid.

“Jaehwan—” Wonshik gasps, but Jaehwan steps around him, posture regal and back tense with anger. He advances on the rapidly retreating cloaks, footsteps firm and unfaltering, and sweeps his arm to one side. Instantly, the cloaks jerk off the stairs like an unseen force had just rammed into them, and they fall, dropping onto the sand one by one and dissolving the second they hit the ground.

Jaehwan isn’t looking at them anymore. He hurries over to Wonshik, kneeling down before him, eyes intent.

“Are you alright?” he asks, voice low. Cold fingers brush Wonshik’s disheveled hair back, and he shivers. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

“No,” Wonshik mumbles, dusting his hands off. “W-what were they?”

Jaehwan’s lips thin. “Dangerous creatures,” he murmurs, carefully re-arranging Wonshik’s black scarf around his neck. “But they’re no match for me.”

“T-that’s good,” Wonshik breathes, and allows Jaehwan to help him to his feet, his palms cupping Wonshik’s elbows. When they both straighten, Jaehwan slips off his white coat and drapes it carefully around Wonshik’s shoulders, tugging on the lapels so it fits snugly around him. Wonshik blinks.

“Thank you,” he says, and he means it.

Jaehwan shifts, his expression momentarily awkward before it settles back into a stoic mask. “Don’t be,” he says bluntly. “I should’ve come for you sooner, but I didn’t realize you were in danger. I was too careless.”

“Don’t say that,” Wonshik argues, touching Jaehwan’s wrist. His skin is freezing, even though he’s still wearing a turtleneck. “I wandered off because I wanted to explore the place.”

“Maybe it’s best if you stay by my side for the time being,” Jaehwan says, casting a poisonous look down at the grey ash.

“Okay,” Wonshik replies hurriedly, trying to draw Jaehwan’s attention back on him. “I’ll feel better like that anyway; let’s just leave this room. Y-you do know how to get back out, right?” he adds a moment later, embarrassed. Just thinking about his unending run on the never-ending step was enough to make his knees go weak again.

“Of course,” Jaehwan says. He slides an arm around Wonshik’s waist, drawing him close. Wonshik catches a whiff of Jaehwan’s cologne, which manages to smell like a breath of winter air mixed with something sharp, almost spice-like. He curls closer against his husband, dropping his forehead against Jaehwan’s shoulder, and feels Jaehwan’s arm tighten around him, holding him close.

“Let’s go.”


	3. OT6 - Nothing You Need To Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Ot6 angst or hurt/comfort where the media finds out that the members of vixx are all in a polyamorous relationship with each other please? (Thank you <3)
> 
> 16/04/28

Hakyeon had finally went around collecting all their phones the other day, gently tugging the devices from their hands and putting them all in one of his old shoeboxes before tucking everything away on the shelf under the coffee table.

“We’re going back to the stone age for a bit,” he says, making a small joke in the hopes of alleviating the tension, and perhaps it’s a mark of how much they’re all hurting when nobody can even muster up the will to show any kind of response.

Only Taekwoon shows any indication of hearing Hakyeon, his fingers brushing against the back of Hakyeon’s hand when the eldest walks away, though Hakyeon didn’t let him linger.

“There’s no point in poking around on the internet,” Hakyeon says in conclusion. “Let’s just stay at home and have some peace and quiet here, alright?”

“You mean hide?” Sanghyuk mutters, gaze fixed firmly down at his knees. Wonshik nudges him, hard, and Sanghyuk shifts, looking away.

Hakyeon is quiet for a moment. “If that’s what you want to call it,” he answers, tone neutral but the words brittle at the edges, and before any of them could speak, he walks out of the living room without looking back.

The apartment is so quiet it’s almost scary. Usually there’s the sounds of the radio or the television playing, or else it’s Taekwoon singing to himself as he putters around or Hakyeon and Hongbin’s playful arguments as they shuffle about in the kitchen.

Jaehwan went for a shower an hour ago and still hasn’t come out. Taekwoon had hovered by the bathroom door for a while, restlessly playing with his sleeves, but finally gave up when Jaehwan showed no indication of hearing any of his knocking.

Wonshik has burrowed himself onto the couch, face a stone mask as he scribbles away at a notebook and taps dully on his laptop. Sanghyuk had been sitting at the dinner table, staring unseeingly down at one of the assignments he was supposed to have started two days ago when he notices Hakyeon walking past, head bowed as he headed down the hall and towards his bedroom. He stands, leaving his homework behind, and follows briskly, catching up with Hakyeon just as their leader is trying to close his door.

“Hakyeon—” he begins, but the sight of Hakyeon’s crumpled expression and the tears running down his face halts whatever half-finished thoughts Sanghyuk wants to say. He pushes forwards, walking into Hakyeon’s room, and bundles Hakyeon up in his arms.

“Don’t cry,” Sanghyuk stammers, squeezing tightly.

Hakyeon doesn’t say anything; he’s muffling his sobs behind his hands, body nearly folded in half, and he lets Sanghyuk guide them over to his bed. They fall onto the mattress, Sanghyuk’s front pressing against Hakyeon’s back as he curls protectively around him.

Hakyeon whispers something, barely understandable through his tears, and it makes Sanghyuk want to cry himself.

_I’m sorry I couldn’t protect any of you better_.

+

Jaehwan’s mouth is turned downwards as he closes the door quietly on Hakyeon and Sanghyuk, careful not to alert either of them of his presence. But when he turns, Hongbin is already standing at the end of the hall, hands tucked in his pockets. He looks tired.

Jaehwan starts to walk by, intent on ploughing his way past, but Hongbin catches him by the elbow and halts him before he could go any further.

“You look like you want to kill someone,” he says, and Jaehwan scoffs, shoving his wet bangs back in irritation.

“Kill someone? I’m gonna disembowel them,” Jaehwan snarls, betraying a side of anger he rarely shows. Hongbin heaves a sigh before placing his palm on the back of Jaehwan’s neck, tugging him forwards. Jaehwan drops his chin onto Hongbin’s shoulder, biting his lip. He sees Taekwoon’s slippered feet walk past, followed by Wonshik’s, who comes to a stop behind Hongbin.

“This isn’t fair,” he says to nobody in particular. Hongbin’s hands are already wrapped around his waist, holding him loosely, so the palm that settles on his back has to be Taekwoon’s.

“It never is,” Taekwoon replies, voice barely audible.

The only response to that is Wonshik’s low sniffle, his breath hitching because of how hard he’s crying, and Jaehwan sneaks a hand out, fumbling for the rapper’s hand in an attempt to offer comfort.

“H-Hakyeon shouldn’t be crying like that,” Wonshik hiccups, rubbing at his red-rimmed eyes. “It’s not his fault.”

“It’s nobody’s fault,” Taekwoon adds firmly, and Jaehwan honestly wants to draw comfort from those words, despite their situation. It’s times like these that push them in different ways; anger towards others who’s hurt one of their own, regret that they couldn’t shield another.

But, Jaehwan thinks as Hongbin murmurs something to him and pushes them forwards towards Hakyeon’s room, at least they have each other. And none of the will have to be alone, even when the rest of the world wants to isolate them so.


	4. OT6 - Those Are Golden Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Oh my god, your stories seriously brighten my day. Can I request a smiley brotherly ot6 fic? They all seem so happy and smiley lately, I just want to bask in the sunshine that is vixx before I go back to studying for finals -_-;
> 
> 16/04/28

“Han Sanghyuk, that is not a real smile,” Hakyeon scolds, arms crossed in front of him.

“You are honestly the most judge-y person I have ever met in my life,” Sanghyuk complains, dropping his bright expression immediately for a dull glare. “Let me live a little.”

“Hey, you two,” Hongbin interrupts, finally lowering his polaroid camera. “Who’s the photographer here, hm?”

“Bossy,” the two of them say at once, grinning, and Hongbin looks up, offended.

“Alright, alright,” Wonshik intervenes, ambling over quickly. He slings his arm around Hongbin’s neck and gives him a friendly shake, even as Hongbin elbows him playfully in the ribs. “No arguing, let’s just get these photos taken and put up on the club bulletin board, and then we can go out and get food like we said we would, alright?”

“Maybe if Hakyeon stopped micromanaging my smiling techniques, I’ll be able to get this done an over with,” Sanghyuk complains, batting at Hakyeon’s hands as the elder pinches his cheeks, tugging lightly at Sanghyuk’s face.

“You smile like someone’s just stolen your lunch and you’re gonna attempt murder,” Hakyeon says loudly, now squishing Sanghyuk’s face in. “Oh, look at that, cute.”

“No way,” Jaehwan complains, literally catapulting himself out of his seat, leaving a disgruntled-looking Taekwoon behind, hand suspended in mid-air from where he was patting Jaehwan’s fluffy hair. “Get out of my way, Sanghyuk, I’m the cute one.”

“Please, by all means, take the title,” Sanghyuk gargles, wiggling in Hakyeon’s hold. “I’m the manly one, not the cute kid.”

“The youngest is always the cutest!” Hakyeon shouts, squeezing Sanghyuk into a hug. Jaehwan screams and tosses his arms around them both, effectively trapping Sanghyuk in the middle and leaving him to flail his legs helplessly.

“ _Guys_ ,” he whines, struggling. Wonshik sighs happily, blissfully oblivious to Sanghyuk sinking lower and lower into his seat.

“Ah, youth,” he says, and Hongbin looks at him.

“I thought Taekwoon was supposed to be our club grandpa— ack! Ack!”

“Say that one more time,” Taekwoon says serenely, patting Hongbin on the neck while the photographer whined and rubbed at his shoulder.

“Quit _biting_  people,” he whines. Taekwoon doesn’t respond; he only takes his phone out and cheerfully snaps pictures of Sanghyuk stuck between two of their renowned octopus-hug endorsers in their club.

“But it’s such a cute way of showing affection,” Wonshik teases, poking him on the cheek, and Hongbin bonks heads with him, making Wonshik yelp.

“I’ll show you affection,” he says, a maniacal grin on his face as he shoves Wonshik off the chair and manhandles him over to Taekwoon. “Stand right there and look up, you two.”

“Don’t you dare—!” Sanghyuk gasps, tugging on Hakyeon’s arm when he sees Hongbin turn the polaroid around, finger on the shutter.

“Smile!” Jaehwan shouts, grinning so widely his eyes turn into half-moons. Taekwoon also throws up the classic V, which probably means he’s in a good mood after a combination of getting good blackmail pictures of Sanghyuk, taking his daily bite out of Hongbin while a clinging Wonshik hugs him from behind, beaming.

“Perfect,” Hongbin says, giving his million-dollar smile as he presses down on the button.

“I want a copy!” Hakyeon says at once, but he’s cut short when Sanghyuk manages to kick him in the butt.

As the bickering breaks loose again, Hongbin settles back in his chair and pulls the polaroid out, waving in until the picture finally appears. Wonshik sneaks over for a look, cheek resting against Hongbin’s shoulder.

“Looks good,” he says, and Hongbin nods.

“Yeah,” he murmurs, tracing his finger over the glossy surface the photo capturing six bright smiles— even Sanghyuk had managed a bashful little grin from where Jaehwan and Hakyeon had their arms wrapped around him. “It looks real good.”


	5. OT6 (Hongbin centric) - Smoke Beneath The Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: OT6 Hongbin-centric Gang AU please?
> 
> 16/04/28

The drive over to the house was surprisingly quiet; the roads were empty at this hour and the radio was off, with nothing more than the sound of the engine rumbling and the loose change rattling every time Jaehwan drove over a bump in the road.

Hongbin leaned against the edge of the open window, letting the cool breeze rush through his hair, and inhaled.

The scent of the summer night and the brisk chill surrounded him, like a hug from a familiar friend.

Wonshik and Hakyeon were smoking together in the backseat, clouding up the interior because Jaehwan’s old car was so cramped that Wonshik’s knees were practically pressed against the back of the driver’s seat. Hakyeon would occasionally shotgun from Wonshik, too tired to bother holding the cigarette himself.

Hongbin tilts his head and looks over to Jaehwan, gazing thoughtfully at the puffy purple eyebags beneath his eyes, his thin wrists and bony fingers holding the steering wheel steady, the pale skin stretched over bruised knuckles. He thinks Jaehwan might’ve looked back over at him, but he can’t be sure.

The road home is silent save for a few crickets chirping here or there in the grass. The porch light flickers on when Jaehwan slots the car up onto the driveway. When he takes the keys out of the ignition and steps out of the car, he walks around to Hongbin’s side and touches his wrist.

“Binnie,” Jaehwan says. “Wake up. We have to go inside.”

He opens his mouth to answer, but his words slur together, resulting in garbled nothingness.

Jaehwan’s smile is thin as he calls towards the backseat: “Hakyeon, pull him off the door, I’m going to open it.”

Warm hands, strong and firm, tug him out of his slouched position and back onto the seat. His head swims as Jaehwan pops open the car door and reaches in.

“Hongbin,” Hakeyon’s voice, warm as sugar and honey, murmurs close to his ear. “Put your arms around Jaehwan’s neck, alright?”

“Yeah,” he says, voice scratchy, and manages to whack Jaehwan in the nose trying to lift his arms up. “Oh, shit, Jaehwan, sorry…”

“It’s fine,” Jaehwan says, simply grabbing him under the armpits and hauling him out of his seat. The world spins as he’s suddenly lifted out of the car, and Hongbin gags, finding the strength to clutch at the front of Jaehwan’s shirt.

“Oof,” Jaehwan grunts, arms tightening around Hongbin. “I got you.”

Of course you do, Hongbin wants to say, but his nose is mashed into the side of Jaehwan’s neck and he’s drowning in the scent of smoke and antiseptic. You’d break your hands fighting for me, Jaehwan.

“Wonshik,” Jaehwan is saying. “Can you—”

“Yup,” Wonshik rumbles, and a second later Hongbin’s feet are parting from the ground, and he’s flying upwards, body lifting off the planes of this earth. His head lolls back and he can suddenly see the stars; is he flying towards them, or are they coming down onto him?

“Watch his head,” Hakyeon whispers. He cradles the back of Hongbin’s head and eases it onto Wonshik’s shoulder, and without further ado Wonshik hefts Hongbin up in his arms and carries him back into the house. The others trail behind, talking in low voices.

It’s disgustingly hot inside, even with the sounds of fans running in the rooms. He groans and curls into Wonshik’s front, arm flopping uselessly on his side. There’s a patter of footsteps, and he hears Taekwoon’s voice next, tight with worry.

“How is he? Is he alright? What did Inguk say?”

“He’ll be fine,” Hakyeon answers as Jaehwan shuts the door behind them. “A minor concussion, sprained wrist and fingers, a strain on his shoulder and some bruised ribs, but otherwise fine.”

Cold fingers touch his cheek and brush away his bangs, lingering on his face.

“He doesn’t look fine,” Taekwoon mumbles, but steps back so Wonshik could carry Hongbin into the living room and lay him out on the pullout sofa.

“Inguk got us a prescription for stronger painkillers,” Hakyeon says. “He’ll be a little loopy for a while, but it’ll let him rest.”

Wonshik’s hands slip away from him, and Hongbin makes a grab for his hands. But all he could do was twitch his fingers weakly and sigh in discontent. He didn’t want Wonshik to let go; he’s known for a while that there was a kind of comfort that could be found curling up in Wonshik’s arms— there was something about Wonshik in general that makes him feel safe and protected.

There are footsteps, and a moment later he hears Sanghyuk come into the room.

“You’re back,” the youngest says, out of breath, and he turns his head in time to see Sanghyuk gather Jaehwan and Hakyeon up in his arms, hugging them tightly. It’s rare for Sanghyuk to display his emotions so openly, but they’ve had a long day. If anything, they were all lucky to be alive.

“Yes, we are,” Hakyeon says gently, cupping Sanghyuk’s cheek in his hands. “We’re fine, Hyukkie.”

“Hongbin doesn’t look okay,” Sanghyuk replies bluntly, and Taekwon makes a noise of agreement.

“He could’ve been a lot worse if Jaehwan and Wonshik hadn’t reached him in time,” Hakyeon says, and Sanghyuk turns away. Hongbin wants to speak up, to reassure them all that he is _fine_ , that it was only a few bumps and bruises, but he can barely lift his head above the pillow. Taekwoon’s hands are on him again, gently undoing the buttons at the top of Hongbin’s shirt so he could sleep comfortably.

“You did get a good look of the guys who tried to mess Binnie up, right?” Hakyeon is saying. Jaehwan and Wonshik both makes sounds of affirmation.

“Like I could ever forget,” Wonshik says forcefully.

“Good,” Hakyeon replies, voice icy cold. “We’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”

“Let me at them,” Sanghyuk says, anger in his voice. “I won’t just stand by and let them hurt Hongbin like that—”

“We know, Hyukkie,” Jaehwan soothes. “Don’t worry, we’re taking you with us.”

Hongbin shifts, hazy mind slowly processing the words spoken around him. You don’t have to do this, he wants to say. Not for me.

His discomfort must’ve shown on his face, because he feels Taekwoon’s lips press against his temple next, soft and soothing.

“It’s alright, Binnie,” he whispers, a hand on his waist, reassuring. “Sleep. We’ll take care of this.”


	6. OT6 (Ken centric) - Five Senses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: sweet ken-centric ot6 where members scratch/pet his neck in order to calm him down/mess with him/cuddle him please :)
> 
> 16/04/28

Sometimes, Hakyeon wonders if Jaehwan might just be a little puppy in disguise.

There’s a certain kind of adorableness in seeing their self-proclaimed “cutie main vocal” flop over Taekwoon’s front with his arms and legs all splayed up, possibly doing his best to channel his inner starfish. Jaehwan must’ve looked really tired too, because instead of pushing him off, Taekwoon wiggles down until he’s lying in a more comfortable position and rearranges Jaehwan until he could rest his chin against Taekwoon’s shoulder.

“Aw, Jaehwanie,” Hakyeon says, crawling up on the bed with the two of them. “Are you tired?”

“No,” Jaehwan mumbles, and then he pauses. “Yes,” he says, a second later, and twitches when Hakyeon places a hand on his calf and squeezes gently.

“Musical rehearsal went on for a while, didn’t it?” Taekwoon asks softly, large hands placed on either side of Jaehwan’s waist, and Jaehwan nods in assent.

“Whoever says theatre was easy needs to get punched,” he grumbles, then groans when Hakyeon’s hands move up to massage at the base no his neck. Taekwoon lifts one of his hands as well and presses his fingers a little higher up on Jaehwan’s neck, moving in time to Hakyeon’s massages.

“Ah,” Jaehwan sighs, twitching. “You two— oh, Christ.”

“Feels good?” Hakyeon asks, grinning. Jaehwan sighs and practically deflates onto Taekwoon’s chest.

“Yes,” he answers, eyes drifting shut. “Don’t stop.”

+

While Wonshik is the known cuddler of their group, there are only a few people that let him cling to them however they please. Hakyeon, the ever-indulgent eldest, would cheerfully parade around the room while Wonshik stumbles along behind him, arms draped over Hakyeon’s neck. Taekwoon is susceptible to those back hugs too, if he’s properly bribed with food or is too lazy to toss Wonshik off.

Jaehwan simply doesn’t care, so he’s usually Wonshik’s go-to cuddle victim because of his zero resistance policy. And sometimes it’s nice, like having a large heater placed against one’s back.

“Cute,” Wonshik hums for the umpteenth time, cheek pressed against the side of Jaehwan’s neck as he watches Jaehwan scribble down Chinese characters in his notebook. “Aw, even your handwriting is adorable.”

“Duh,” Jaehwan snickers, flipping onto the next page of notes. Wonshik snuggles even closer, nuzzling his nose against Jaehwan’s neck, and he jumps a little at the sudden puff of air that tickles him, wiggling slightly.

“Gah, don’t breathe on me,” he complains, rapping Wonshik lightly on the head.

“Oopsie,” Wonshik replies, grinning bashfully. “My bad. Does it tickle?”

“Yes,” Jaehwan answers, only to jump again when Wonshik turns and deliberately blows against his neck again. “Hey! I’ll throw you off this couch, you ungrateful koala!”

“Don’t,” Wonshik whines playfully, tightening his hold. “I’ll stop, I’ll stop.”

“Good,” Jaehwan snorts, jabbing him in the ribs. “I’ll get mad otherwise, you hear?”

+

It’s another typical Wednesday afternoon, which is when vocal lessons take place, the coffee shop down the block does a free upgrade from small to medium till 3pm, and Hongbin and Sanghyuk have ganged up on Jaehwan again.

“Guys, this is _not_  how you treat your elders,” he whines, rolling away to one side, but only manages to bump into the wall.

“We’re only trying to play,” Sanghyuk says, a huge grin on his face as he crawls forwards and grabs Jaehwan’s wrists, tugging him up. Jaehwan doesn’t stop his grumbling and purposefully flops over like a fish, making Sanghyuk grunt at his weight.

“Ah, you’re falling,” Hongbin laughs from behind, grabbing him around the middle. “Here, I’ll save you!”

“Noo,” Jaehwan says, slumping backwards against Hongbin’s chest. Sanghyuk eagerly scoots forwards at once, tossing Jaehwan’s legs on either side of him, and leans in to plant a ridiculously dramatic kiss on Jaehwan’s neck. “Oi! Gross, Hyukkie.”

“What did you just say?” Sanghyuk asks, tilting his head cutely, and just as Jaehwan opens his mouth to answer, Hongbin leans in and trails his lips deliberately down the back of his neck. Jaehwan seizes up in an instant, squirming wildly in Hongbin’s hold.

“Wait,” he gasps, but Sanghyuk ducks forwards in that instant and bites the soft spot beneath his jaw, not hard enough to hurt him but enough to make the heat rise in Jaehwan’s cheek and his toes curl at the sensation. “Oh, _fuck_ ,” he swears, head tilting back unconsciously, and he hears Sanghyuk giggle by his ear.

“I think he likes it, Hongbinnie,” Sanghyuk says jokingly, and Jaehwan can feel the rumble of laughter in Hongbin’s chest behind him.

“I think you’re right,” Hongbin whispers, voice pitched low, and Jaehwan can’t even bring himself to disagree.


	7. OT3 (N/Leo/Ken) - Gekkan Shoujo, Ken-kun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: neo trying to make sad puppy jaehwan feel better (maybe smutty?)
> 
> 16/05/01

“Well?” Hakyeon whispers, trying to peer around Taekwoon and into the studio. “Is he still sulking?”

“Shh,” Taekwoon mumbles back, absent-mindedly batting Hakyeon’s hands from his waist and shoulders as he peeks through a crack in the sliding doors. “Yes, he is. Now stop talking, I’m trying to think.”

Hakyeon huffs, but dutifully falls silent for a total of ten seconds before he whispers again, “This is about the Artist of the Year award, isn’t it.”

Taekwoon turns and gives him a dull look. “I sure hope it’s not still about you eating the last cupcake he was secretly saving for himself last week.”

Hakyeon glowers. “Okay, that was an _accident_.”

The corners of Taekwoon’s mouth quirks upwards ever so slightly before he turns back. “But it was the triple chocolate mousse-topped cupcake with the sprinkles.”

“Shut up,” Hakyeon whines, slapping Taekwoon on the shoulder, and from inside the studio, Jaehwan’s morose voice sounds: “If you two are gonna spy on my tragic figure, you could at least try to be a little sneakier.”

The two of them pause, exchanging looks, and then Taekwoon sighs before pushing the door open all the way and stepping into the studio. Hakyeon follows behind him, closing the door and pushing a cluster boxes of papers and sheets of screentones aside.

Jaehwan is curled up in his side, lying on one of the futons they use for all-nighters at the studio while hugging the giant Hyuk body pillow to his front. The Hongbin and Ravi body pillows are propped on the side, overlooking Jaehwan’s sullen form.

“Wow,” Hakyeon mumbles. “He must be really upset if he’s hugging the  _Hyuk_  pillow.”

“Jaehwan,” Taekwoon says, sitting down on the blanket. He reaches out and touches his back. “We’re sorry you didn’t win the award, but don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re still a brilliant manga artist.”

“No,” Jaehwan sniffles, mushing his face into the pillow. “I’m a horrible failure.”

“That isn’t true,” Hakyeon protests, crawling forwards at once. He grabs Jaehwan around the middle and tugs him close, dropping his chin onto Jaehwan’s shoulder. “You were still runner up with your second professional publication. That’s amazing.”

“It’s not first,” Jaehwan mumbles, lower lip sticking out in a pout. “Besides, you guys are my assistants, you’re supposed to back me up.”

Hakyeon and Taekwoon exchanged looks again; if Jaehwan were an actual puppy, his ears and tails would’ve been drooping by now.

“You don’t need a first place trophy to prove you’re an excellent artist,” Taekwoon argues, placing a comforting hand on Jaehwan’s calf. “Aren’t you always saying how it’s not the trophy that matters, but the quality of your work? Besides, it’s more of a popularity contest than anything else, they always go for the mainstream works.”

Jaehwan turns over a little, expression thoughtful as Hakyeon combs his fingers through Jaehwan’s rumpled hair. He hadn’t even changed out of his evening outfit yet, and the front of his plum-coloured dress shirt was starting to crease.

“D’you think I should’ve drawn Ravi’s tragic backstory first and then used that to lead into the OT3 pairing with Hongbin and Hyuk? It’s such a predictable route but maybe people would’ve responded better to a well-known plot line—”

“Okay, stop right there,” Hakyeon interrupts loudly, flicking Jaehwan on the forehead. Jaehwan shrieks, falling off of Hakyeon’s lap before sitting bolt upright.

“What was that for!” he yells, a betrayed look on his face. Hakyeon scoffs and grabs Jaehwan’s face with both hands, forcing him to face them.

“You are worth much more than what a stupid glass hunk and a cheap bronze plaque, Lee Jaehwan! You have a great manga and incredible characters and a beautifully crafted storyline, and you don’t need a stereotyped plot line to prove it! So stop moping right this instant and pull your shit together or so help me god I am going to tie you into your chair and go through all fourteen volumes of your manga page by page and force you to see the greatness in each one!”

Jaehwan was staring at Hakyeon, slack-jawed, and when he glances over at Taekwoon there’s a bit of red dusting his cheeks.

“Why does Hakyeon look so hot when he yells and gets all commanding like that?” he asks weakly, and Taekwoon smirks, sliding his hand higher up onto Jaehwan’s thigh.

“Maybe you need him to remind you just how great of an artist you actually are.”

“Guys,” Jaehwan whines, shying away from the blatant compliments, but Hakyeon’s the one who pulls him back and kisses him soundly, making Jaehwan tremble and grasp blindly for Taekwoon’s hand, squeezing tightly. Taekwoon lifts Jaehwan’s hand and presses little kisses to the tips of his fingers in response, and Jaehwan literally squirms, melting into Hakyeon’s front as Taekwoon slowly kisses up his arm.

“Wait, wait,” he pants a moment later, managing to gather himself even after Hakyeon’s halfway through undoing the buttons of his shirt and Taekwoon’s massaging the back of his neck with a meaningful squeeze.

“What?” Hakyeon groans, scraping his nails down Jaehwan’s abdomen. The artist keens, tossing his head back, and Taekwoon immediately moves forward to kiss his neck.

“Let me— let me turn the pillows over,” Jaehwan gasps, and Hakyeon and Taekwoon both stop, looking at Jaehwan incredulously. Jaehwan pouts. “What! It’s weird when I have to look at my own characters when we’re making out, okay! They’re literally my own children.”

“Oh, _gross_ ,” Taekwoon covers his face and Hakyeon immediately seizes all three pillows, launching Hyuk, Hongbin and Ravi across the room.

“You had to make it weird,” he complains, turning around to pull Jaehwan back onto his lap. The artist grins, sheepish.

“If it makes you feel any better, I think you two look like literal works of art and you have no idea how glad I am you’re here with me,” Jaehwan giggles. Hakyeon bursts out laughing, blushing madly, and Taekwoon hides his face into Jaehwan’s shoulder blade, hugging him from behind.

“And don’t you know it,” Hakyeon chuckles.


	8. Ravi/Hyuk - Playing Favourites

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hi! I hope life's treating u well! Can i leave a hyukvi prompt, inspired by VIXX TV 2 ep 40, where rapper ravi meets his #1fanboy hyuk but ravi gets all shy and flustered instead of the other way around? thank u!
> 
> 16/05/01

“Hey, excuse me?”

Wonshik looks up, momentarily startled, and the experimental little tune that’s been looping around his head all morning vanishes like a popped bubble. He looks to his left and sees a young man around his age.

“You wouldn’t happen to be Ravi, would you?” the man asks, and from behind him, Wonshik notices another guy who’s hovering awkwardly with his hands in his hair and a stressed expression on his face as he whisper-shouts, “ _Of course he’s Ravi you idiot I just told you who he was_ —”

“Uh,” Wonshik blinks, momentarily thrown off, because he actually recognizes the other man. “Yes?”

The man’s grin widens. “Perfect,” he says, and Wonshik’s almost worried to find out what that means.

The man swivels around and bolts over to where the other guy is standing, latching onto him and dragging him over in a flash even as the other guy groans, “No, Hakyeon, stop stop stop, you are gonna _embarrass the fuck out of me_ —”

“So my friend is a huge fan of yours,” the first man, Hakyeon, says with a humongous grin as he shoves the other forwards. “He’s way too shy to actually come over and speak with you though, but I hope you’ll have a minute you can spare to chat with him?”

“No, it’s okay, you don’t need to,” the other guy says, distressed, and Wonshik takes that moment to pipe up, “It’s alright, I’m not busy right now.”

The other guy turns in surprise and Hakyeon’s smile widens even more, if that’s possible.

“I’ll leave you two to it then,” he announces, and before the other man could make a grab for him, he jets off with the same shocking speed, practically leaving them in the dust.

“Oh my god,” the guy groans, covering his face. “I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you, honest.”

“You’re not bothering me,” Wonshik reassures him quickly. “I’ve— I’ve actually seen you before, haven’t I? You’ve attended several of my concerts and I’ve seen you at meet and greets.”

“Yeah,” the guy nods. He looks surprised. “You remember me?”

“I do see you quite often,” Wonshik says, scratching the back of his neck shyly, and the guy laughs, eyes crinkling.

“That’s true, I love attending your shows. Your music is amazing. I’m Sanghyuk, by the way,” he adds, extending his hand for a shake. Wonshik hopes he doesn’t notice the slight tremor in his palm as they clasps hands. “It’s really cool of you to chat with me, thank you.”

“I-It’s not a problem, really,” Wonshik flusters. “I’m happy to meet people that appreciate my music.”

“‘Appreciate’?” Sanghyuk repeats, incredulous. “Man, I don’t just _appreciate_  your music, I freaking love it. Your lyrics have so much meaning and thought behind it and your raps can be both aggressive and heartfelt; that’s not a combination anybody can pull off.”

“T-T-That’s,” Wonshik splutters, heat gushing up in his cheeks, and he has to take a step back, waving his hands. “Really, you’re exaggerating!”

Sanghyuk laughs. “I’m just telling you the truth! All of your fans echo the same idea; your work is brilliant.”

“I’m really just a guy who raps,” Wonshik almost wails, clutching at Sanghyuk’s arms almost unthinkingly. But Sanghyuk just pats him comfortingly, a wide grin on his face.

“Aw, you put yourself down too much,” he tuts. “Don’t even get me started on your stage presence and just how cool you look. Every act is so dynamic and you hype the audience up so much. You’re incredible.”

“Sanghyuk, please,” Wonshik groans, covering his face. “You’re too much, holy shit.”

“Hey, I’m not your number one fanboy for nothing,” Sanghyuk teases, slinging an arm around his shoulders, and Wonshik can feel his heartbeat accelerate, until it’s pounding in his chest, and he’s certain his face is a bright, flaming red.

“I’m grateful,” he admits, words muffled behind his hands, and he thinks he might melt if Sanghyuk smiles at him with that million-dollar smile again once more time.


	9. N/Leo - A Song, A Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: hey there. xD sorry for requesting again but I can't get it out of my head-- could I please have neo, soulmate AU "N's always heard Leo's voice singing his favorite song, and it's been echoing through his head." they meet in university ^^ thank you!
> 
> 16/05/03

“You’re doing it again,” Wonshik whispers, bumping his knee against Hakyeon’s. Hakyeon startles and straightens up in his seat as he looks over at his friend.

“What? Really?”

“Mhm,” Wonshik nods, though his gaze is focused on his phone and he’s not really paying attention to what Hakyeon is saying. “Can’t you tell when you start singing along?”

“Not really,” Hakyeon admits, slumping back down against the hard plastic of his chair. He glances at the crowd in the auditorium, listening to the hum of soft chatter that’s starting to rise during the intermission at the university’s Annual Arts Festival Talent Show. “It’s just a voice in my head… sometimes my mood just syncs up with it.”

Wonshik casts him a sideways glance. He looks curious.

“So what _does_ your soulmate sound like?” he asks, tucking his phone back into his pocket. Hakyeon shrugs, watching the heavy red curtains rustle as the emcee walks back onstage. carrying a large red bucket.

“Like a person.”

“You know what I mean,” Wonshik huffs, elbowing Hakyeon. He laughs and tugs at the front of his sweater.

“Kidding. I dunno, he’s got a nice voice. He’s definitely had vocal training of some sort. It’s got a ballad-y feel to it… helps that he’s always singing my favourite slow song all the time.”

“Does he sing better than you?” Wonshik grins, and yelps when Hakyeon slaps him hard on the shoulder. There’s a burst of static from the speakers overhead as the emcee taps the microphone.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for our intermission event,” the guy says, holding up the bucket for them to see. “From this bucket, I’ll be drawing two ticket numbers. If I call out your number, you’ll have to come up to the stage and sing a duet together! Should you two succeed, you’ll each win a gift card to the new dessert restaurant that’s just opened downtown!”

A collective murmur washes over the crowd as the emcee swishes his hand through the bucket, rummaging through the ticket stubs until he grabs two. “Number 1110!” he says into the microphone, and there’s a sudden shout of laughter from the other end of the room. While everybody swivels their heads to stare at a small posse of guys— one of whom was being shoved out of his seat— the emcee reads off the other ticket. “And… number 0630! Would the two guests with those numbers please come forth!”

“Oh my god,” Wonshik bursts out laughing. “Hakyeon— aren’t you 0630?”

“Eh?” Hakyeon blinks, fishing his ticket out from his coat pocket. He flips the crumpled paper over and, true enough, printed on the side in large blocky numbers were 0630. “But—”

“Up you go!” Wonshik interrupts gleefully, pushing him out of the seat and into the aisle. Hakyeon grunts as he stumbles out, almost losing his footing, and catches the emcee’s eye at once.

“Ah! I can see the both of you! Excellent, come up over here!”

Hakyeon turns to glower at a smirking Wonshik one last time before wobbling up towards the stage, aware of everybody watching him. For some reason, there’s an odd tugging sensation in his chest that grows stronger as he nears the stage, and it won’t go away no matter how hard he rubs at his chest. His breath lodges in his throat when he finally steps up onto the stage, and there’s a buzzing in his ears as he sees the other participant climb the steps on the opposite side.

A kind of hush has fallen over the entire auditorium, which only makes the fluttering in his stomach quicker and the sensation in his chest grow stronger. Somehow, between every single person in the same room, the instinctive realization that something like a preordained, cosmic event is happening in the auditorium of their university, which is no more than a tiny spot in the whole universe. 

He knows who this man is before they even face each other; the faint sounds of the song that’s been echoing around in his head melts away when the other student, a tall, dark-haired boy with a soft mouth and pretty black eyes, looks at him and speaks with the same voice he’s been hearing since he was young— the sweet voice that calms him when he’s upset and brings joy to his heart and makes him want to live exuberantly if he knows he’ll meet his soulmate one day.

“Ah,” the boy says, breathless with awe, and Hakyeon wants to cry at how beautiful he sounds in real life. “It’s you— the one I’ve seen dancing through my dreams.”


	10. Ravi/Hongbin - Strawberry Sweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hi. I'm the one that requested the Hong/Reader, it's okay. X3 Some sweet RaBin then maybe? Same kinks, or your pick. Love your recent Wonjae btw. So cute. Huhu
> 
> 16/05/05

“Oh god,” Hongbin groans, the sound reverberating deep in his chest as he slumps back against Wonshik’s front, holding a large bowl of strawberries in his hands as he settles comfortably in the V of Wonshik’s spread legs. “Holy shit. These are really, really good.”

Wonshik laughs, reaching around his boyfriend to pluck a strawberry from the bowl as well. “Glad you like them,” he replies, amused. “Are they really that great?”

“Great? Are you kidding?” Hongbin repeats, wide-eyed. “Did you trade your soul or something for these strawberries? I’ve never tasted such good ones when they’re not in season.”

“Dunno,” Wonshik shrugs, chewing thoughtfully. “Maybe I’m just lucky when I pick fruits out?”

“Eh,” Hongbin shrugs, carefully sorting some of the strawberries by size. “Either way they’re still so damn good. I think I’m in love, to be honest.”

“What, with the fruits and not with me?” Wonshik jokes, faking a hurt look. “That’s mean.”

“To be honest, I’m fully ready to leave you if it means I’ll have a whole bowl of tasty strawberries to myself,” Hongbin deadpans, and Wonshik immediately pouts, drooping like a kicked puppy in the rain.

“But I’m the one who brought them!” he whines. “Give them back, I’m not sharing them if you’ll break up with me for a fruit.”

“No way,” Hongbin laughs, sitting up. He holds the bowl far from Wonshik’s reach and elbows him lightly in the chest, making Wonshik fall back onto the pile of pillows with a yelp. “Don’t even think about it.”

“You could at least share,” Wonshik says, pulling a sad face. “Even if you’ll leave me to ruins, make me cry day and night over your departure, at least let me live a little with something to eat.”

“Have you been writing poetry again?” Hongbin laughs, but he shuffles in his seat until he’s sitting facing Wonshik. From the bowl he chooses a plump strawberry and holds it up to Wonshik’s mouth, offering. Wonshik arches an eyebrow.

“Oh, so now you want to feed me,” he snickers, but dutifully leans forwards to eat the fruit.

“Don’t make me retract my offer,” Hongbin warns, and Wonshik holds his hands up in surrender.

“I’ll enjoy every moment of you feeding me really tasty berries,” he promises, grinning, and Hongbin shakes his head before picking a slightly larger strawberry.

He extends his hand to Wonshik, and the other reaches out to grasp Hongbin’s wrist with long, tapered fingers before taking a bite out of the fruit. Hongbin smirks when he sees Wonshik struggle momentarily, trying to find the best angle.

“You better eat it all in one bite, or else I get the rest.”

“How is that even fair?” Wonshik complains, but he still strains his jaw trying to eat the strawberry in one go anyway, always spoiling Hongbin with his deference to his silly requests from time to time.

“God, you’re cute,” Hongbin laughs. He selects an even bigger berry this time, and lets Wonshik gape at the gigantic fruit in shock before he leans forwards and holds up the pointed side towards his boyfriend.

“We can share this one,” Hongbin promises, dimpling cutely, and Wonshik blinks before biting tentatively down on one side. Slowly, Hongbin sets the bowl aside and crawls forwards onto Wonshik’s lap, making himself comfortable as he places his hands on either side of Wonshik’s face. He feels warm hands on his hips, holding him steady, and Hongbin bends down to give Wonshik’s forehead a kiss before taking a bite out of the other end of the strawberry. He tastes the fresh, sweet taste is accompanied by the soft feeling of Wonshik’s lips brushing against his before he pulls away, chewing happily on the fruit while Wonshik blushes.

“Was that absolutely necessary?” Wonshik asks after he swallows, and Hongbin tilts his head, pretending to think.

“Depends. Did it win you back?”

“Possibly,” Wonshik replies, leaning forwards until his chin is nearly touching Hongbin’s chest. “I think you might have to do it a few more times before I’m properly convinced though.”

“Sure,” Hongbin snorts, but he’s picking up the bowl again. He’s in the midst of selecting a smaller strawberry and when Wonshik suddenly puckers up, startling a laugh out of him. “Ah, screw it,” Hongbin chuckles, and seals their lips together instead.


	11. N/Hyuk - Tactile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hakyeon is trying hard to seduce that young sexy DJ Han Sanghyuk. He thinks Hyuk is cute and innocent but actually he's not. nsfw pls. thank you for writing my villain Ken prompt~ ;) you know who i am
> 
> 16/05/05
> 
> *nsfw

“Um,” Hakyeon starts to say, but he has to stop himself almost immediately after because Sanghyuk is moving closer and closer, and of all the things that could’ve happened tonight, being trapped against the table in Sanghyuk’s dressing room was definitely not one of the thoughts Hakyeon had entertained.

“Yes?” Sanghyuk prompts, blinking down at Hakyeon, and for a moment the motion betrays the youthfulness that had first snagged Hakyeon’s attention when he tagged along with his friends to see the week-long music festival. Sanghyuk was a different from the type of people he usually sees DJ’ing at clubs or parties; for starters, the first time Hakyeon saw him, the kid was wearing a sweater with little cats printed all over the front.

Presently, former cat sweater kid had just stripped off the neon green hoodie he’d been wearing on stage, revealing a simple black sleeveless shirt that fit just a little too snugly on his body, and that body standing very, very close to Hakyeon’s.

“What are you doing?” he finally manages to say, and winces when his voice breaks a little at the end. Sanghyuk grins at him, playing innocent.

“Flirting back,” he answers, and Hakyeon almost chokes on air.

“How did you know I was flirting with you?” he demands, too surprised to deny his blatant advances on the young DJ for the last couple of days. Sanghyuk laughs.

“How could I _not_?” he challenges, moving his hand away from the table. He places his index finger beneath Hakyeon’s chin and tips his head back slightly, still using his height advantage over him. The room is suddenly getting really warm. “You made it quite clear that you wanted to get into bed with me in between a lot of praises for my music and song selections. Normally I’d just brush those kinds of people off, but you seemed genuine. And that’s kinda interesting.”

“You— you—” Hakyeon splutters, hands tightening on the edge of the table as he tries to gather his thoughts. This is definitely not what he expected of Sanghyuk, but now that he’s gotten a glimpse of this new side of the younger man, it’s safe to say that he’s intrigued enough to let his plans fall apart in favour of going along with the flow. “You’ve got a good eye,” he finally says, and blushes when Sanghyuk snorts.

“And _you’re_  just way too obvious,” Sanghyuk replies, dropping his hand from Hakyeon’s chin to slide along the side of his neck, feather-light, and Hakyeon barely suppresses a shiver. “I half expected you to just grab me and tell me exactly what you wanted to do with me, you know.”

“I wouldn’t go that far!” Hakyeon complains, and feels Sanghyuk rub his thumb in smooth circles against his skin, a little apology for riling him up. “Besides, I didn’t think you’d be… this forward either.”

“Oh?” Sanghyuk says. “What was your impression of me then?”

“Way more innocent than this,” Hakyeon grumbles, but the disgruntlement melts away almost instantaneously once he sees the way Sanghyuk bites his lip, a roguish grin tugging at the corners of his lips.

“I’m staying at the hotel a few blocks from this club,” he says. “Would you be interested in dropping by to see just how wrong that theory is?”

Hakyeon can feel his heart pounding in his chest by now, but curiosity and desire are sinking their claws in, and he doesn’t hesitate to answer as he pushes off the table.

“Fuck yeah,” he breathes, moving into Sanghyuk’s personal space. “I’d like to see that.”

It’s too nice of a night to take a cab, so they walk back to Sanghyuk’s hotel. Hakyeon was surprised when the younger man grabbed his hand and tucked him close as they squeezed through the throng of dwindling festival-goers, pushed through the drunk crowd hovering in the lobby of the hotel, and finally ducked through the doorway of Sanghyuk’s room.

Then, there was an arm snaking around his waist, effortlessly pulling him flush against Sanghyuk’s front, and soft lips meeting his own. Sanghyuk kissed with skill, alternating between slow tongue action and simple press of lips together. He’d occasionally nibble on Hakyeon’s lower lip as well, not hard enough to hurt, but definitely an action meant to rile him up. Sanghyuk’s other hand was stroking his hip, occasionally catching against the fabric of his jeans, and he let Hakyeon fist his hands into the front of his shirt as their kiss grew more frantic.

“I have an idea,” Sanghyuk murmurs, finally pulling away after god knows how long.

“Hm?” Hakyeon groans, bucking his hips up, and Sanghyuk has to take a moment to inhale sharply before continuing.

“Why don’t we move over to the bed and you’ll get your pants off so I can show you what I can do with my mouth?” Sanghyuk suggests, still managing to grin cheekily, and Hakyeon feels the heat rise in his cheeks.

“We’ll see,” he snarks back, only to yelp when Sanghyuk suddenly ducks and picks him up, hauling him over his shoulder and carrying Hakyeon over to the bed. He bounces when he’s tossed onto the mattress, and Sanghyuk’s already stripping off his shirt. Hakyeon doesn’t hesitate to shed his clothes either, and a moment later Sanghyuk’s hands are on Hakyeon’s waist, pinning him down while his mouth closes over Hakyeon’s cock, wet and obscene. Hakyeon groans, tangling his fingers lightly into Sanghyuk’s bleached hair. He feels dizzier and dizzier as the minutes pass and Sanghyuk remains relentless.

“Fuck,” he pants, muscles tensing in his legs as Sanghyuk sucks harder, hands holding Hakyeon immobile against the bed. “God damn it, fuck, Sanghyuk, I’m really close—”

Sanghyuk pulls off at once and sits back, grinning serenely down at Hakyeon, who mades a wounded noise at the loss.

“Get yourself off,” he says, voice raw, and Hakyeon’s breath catches in his throat. There’s a glint of mischievousness paired with unbridled want in Sanghyuk’s eyes, and the only thing that surprises Hakyeon is just how long it’s taken him to realize Sanghyuk is probably going to be the best he’s ever had in bed.

“Please,” Sanghyuk adds, wrecked, and he trails his fingers reverently down Hakyeon’s leg. And really, what other incentive does Hakyeon even need?


	12. Leo/Hyuk - Royally Fucked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Can I request a smut leohyuk fic? Hyuk as the top please!
> 
> 16/05/05
> 
> *nsfw

“Are you _sure_  you’re allowed to be here?” Taekwoon asks breathlessly, purposefully turning his head off to the side so Sanghyuk wouldn’t be able to keep kissing him. His boyfriend makes a noise in the back of his throat, something disagreeable, and tries to kiss Taekwoon again. Taekwoon huffs and plants the palm of his hand firmly over Sanghyuk’s mouth, muffling any complaints and placing any more attempts at kisses to a halt. “ _Sanghyuk_. Be serious for a second.”

Sanghyuk moves back a bit, settling onto his knees so that he’s straddling Taekwoon instead over hovering over him. “I’m always serious,” he whines, making a face. “Why can’t I just relax when I’m with you?”

“It’s not that,” Taekwoon says, rubbing Sanghyuk’s thigh soothingly. “But you do know that you can’t just sneak off and spend the night at your boyfriend’s place when you have a public function to attend with your family tomorrow; bad press is the last thing you need with exams coming up.”

“That’s what the royal family’s PR is for,” Sanghyuk breathes, grinding his hips lightly against Taekwoon’s. Both of them twitch, and Taekwoon grabs at Sanghyuk’s leg, giving him a look. “They’re paid big bucks to bail the baby prince out of what is, essentially, shit every twenty-year-old in university gets up to.”

“But you’re not just any twenty-year-old,” Taekwoon counters, even as Sanghyuk crawls forwards until their chests are pressing together, placing them back in kissing distance. “And unlike most guys our age, you’re actually a prince. You can’t just do what you like.”

“Jesus, you’re starting to sound like my dad,” Sanghyuk complains, pushing himself up onto his elbows. “And that is really starting to kill my boner.”

Taekwoon glowers, trying to hide his blush. “Don’t talk about your father when we’re in bed together.”

“Then quit talking about my princely duties and shit,” Sanghyuk grins, managing to retrieve condoms and lube from the nightstand whilst still grinding their lower halves together.

“You are a prince _and_  a brat,” Taekwoon observes offhandedly. He’s already expecting Sanghyuk to retaliate, but the shock of his boyfriend tugging his underwear down and closing his fist around his cock still manages to hold an element of surprise. Taekwoon groans, hands seizing the piles of blankets around him as Sanghyuk thumbs at the head, smirking with satisfaction as he does.

“But I’m your princely brat,” Sanghyuk comments, and Taekwoon can see his tongue poke out to wet his lips, leaving them shiny under the faint white light emitting from the desk lamp in the otherwise darkened bedroom. The homework for his Financial Accounting Theory class remains exactly where he’d left it after he’d gone to get the door for Sanghyuk, and Taekwoon really doesn’t envision himself finishing any of it tonight.

There’s a kind of compressed urgency in the way Sanghyuk preps him and eventually rolls the condom on after Taekwoon pleads with him to just get on with it, and he wonders if his vague thoughts of Sanghyuk needed some time off really was his reason for visiting tonight. And when Sanghyuk fucks him, it’s almost like he wants to get lost in their own little world— he kisses Taekwoon deeply, links their fingers together and urges Taekwoon to wrap his legs around his waist so he can fuck him harder.

“Easy,” Taekwoon chokes out between sloppy, open-mouthed kisses. He wiggles his hands free and drapes them over Sanghyuk’s neck, fingers tugging at soft hair. Sanghyuk shivers at the feeling of Taekwoon’s hands squeezing at the base of his neck too, anchoring him. “It’s okay, Hyukkie. I’m right here.”

“I know,” Sanghyuk whispers in reply. He tilts his head and presses kiss after kiss along Taekwoon’s jaw, the rhythm of his thrusts evening out a little. Taekwoon fails to hold back a whimper when he feels teeth grazing over his pulse. He lifts his hips, urging Sanghyuk on, and shouts when Sanghyuk catches on and picks up his pace altogether.

“God— Sanghyuk— _Sanghyuk_ —”

He comes too fast, stars winking in his vision, and nearly dislodges Sanghyuk when he arches off the bed, body a tense line as Sanghyuk quickly strokes him through his orgasm. He hears Sanghyuk’s broken moans as he follows suit a moment after, eyes squeezed shut and mouth falling open in an ‘O’. His lips are red and shiny, and Taekwoon’s struck by the desire to kiss his boyfriend senseless. He tugs weakly at Sanghyuk’s shoulders, letting the younger practically collapse on top of him. He presses their mouths together, kissing languidly as they both come down from their high, and feels Sanghyuk laugh into the kiss.

“How is it that you always know when something’s bugging me?” the prince asks, eyes soft when they part. Taekwoon snorts and nudges Sanghyuk until he flops onto the mattress. He yanks the blankets up to their hips and drops a hand on Sanghyuk’s waist, massaging gently.

“You might be the royal family’s pretty prince, but I’m the older responsible boyfriend,” Taekwoon jokes, and he smiles when Sanghyuk just pouts in response and snuggles even closer.


	13. Ravi/Ken - Soft For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: raken au where ken is a new transfer student being bullied and accidentally points out the scariest delinquent in school and claims they're dating. ravi is initially pissed but soon becomes smitten
> 
> 16/05/09

He can feel the eyes burning into the back of his head as he walks, but Jaehwan doesn’t dare make eye contact as he hurries after Wonshik’s retreating back, never more than half a step behind the younger student. Even though they’re strolling through the front hall of the school during the bustling lunch hour, everybody parts obediently and gives the pair a wide berth as they make their way to the exit and step out into the afternoon light.

It’s not until they’re past the school gates and nearly a block away that Wonshik suddenly rounds on him; Jaehwan doesn’t stop in time, so it ends with him walking smack into Wonshik’s chest, sending the other student stumbling back with a pained grunt.

“Oh god, sorry, sorry,” Jaehwan splutters, waving his hands in an awkward, fluttering motion, unsure if he should reach out or not. Wonshik simply glowers and smoothes out the front of his shirt (unbuttoned at the top, and without the standard tie).

“Okay, I really don’t care that you told all those doofuses in school that we’re dating of all things, but do you really have to follow me literally _everywhere_  I go?” he asks, and Jaehwan droops.

“No, but if I stay in the school while you go out, they’ll come for me,” he whines. Wonshik gives him a very obvious once-over and shakes his head, expression almost pitying.

“Well, with that baggy getup, it’s no wonder they think you’re a target. Pair that with your magnifying specs and that nest of hair…”

“Hey! It’s not my fault I have naturally curly hair,” Jaehwan squawks, and Wonshik flinches back at the volume.

“Geez, calm down,” he frowns, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket. “I’m just saying, if you brushed it up a bit and got a trim… I dunno, you’d look more presentable, and less like those scrawny birds bigger birds like to bully.”

“I would if I had the time,” Jaehwan sniffs, tugging at the loose sleeves of his sweater. It’s so big on him, it falls right down to his knuckles. “It’s not easy being a senior student and a new transfer at the same time, y’know.”

For a moment, Wonshik doesn’t answer, but when Jaehwan looks up, he’s looking at him with a contemplative look.

“What?” Jaehwan asks, defensive, and Wonshik’s eyes glitter.

“C’mon,” he says, in lieu of an answer, and before Jaehwan could protest, Wonshik had latched onto his wrist and they were running down the street together.

Even though the new town was small, he hadn’t really taken the time to go exploring anywhere other than the local convenience store or the high school, so after a winding trip of crossing intersections and ducking behind alleyways for shortcuts, Jaehwan finds himself standing in front of a quaint little barber shop in an unfamiliar part of town.

Wonshik leads him in, letting the bell chime on the door as he shouts, “Hakyeon! Are you in?”

“When am I never?” a man’s voice retorts, and Jaehwan is surprised by the appearance of a bright young man with shiny black hair and an equally shiny smile. Hakyeon, presumably, grins when he spots Jaehwan hovering in the back. “Oh, is this the new boyfriend I’ve been hearing about from your friends?”

Jaehwan splutters, and to his surprise, Wonshik’s cheeks turn bright red as he aims a half-hearted kick at Hakyeon. “What did I say about trusting everything Hongbin and Sanghyuk say, huh?”

“Kidding,” Hakyeon laughs. “Well. What can I do for you then?”

“This is Jaehwan,” Wonshik answers for him, and ushers Jaehwan forwards with two broad hands on his shoulders. “Could you just touch his hair up a little?”

“Sure thing,” Hakyeon chuckles, like he already knew the reason for their visit, and before Jaehwan could even speak he’s whirled through the shop; jacket, glasses and bookbag discarded and pushed into a chair by the sink, feeling Hakyeon’s strong fingers lather a mint-scented shampoo and conditioner through his hair. “Are you going to cover this with an extra shift on the weekend, Wonshikkie?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Wonshik grunts, waving Hakyeon off as he stores Jaehwan’s things into the closet. Jaehwan startles, and tries to stammer out his protests.

“Wait— Wonshik, you don’t have to—”

“Oh hush,” Hakyeon teases him, spinning him into the chair in front of a mirror. A bright pink cape is placed over him and after an intense blow-dry session that leaves him dizzy, he watches the blurry vision of himself in the mirror and Wonshik standing by as Hakyeon starts to snip away at his ends.

“Wonshik never voluntarily brings his friends to where he works,” Hakyeon says, cutting rapidly while he talks and ignoring Wonshik’s indignant _oi!_  “He thinks it’ll ruin his ‘bad boy’ image— _please_. Just because your hair is that horrendous shade of yellow doesn’t mean you’re a delinquent. Speaking of, are you going to fix those roots yourself or do I have to drag Taekwoon in and make him do it for you?”

“I can dye my own hair,” Wonshik whines, and Jaehwan sits in the chair with his mouth hanging open, hardly daring to believe anybody would speak to _the_  Kim Wonshik, the feared delinquent of their school, in such a casual manner.

“Well, it’s good you’re making friends,” Hakyeon hums, sweeping away the stray hairs at Jaehwan’s neck and around his ears. “He’s always so grouchy! Kids are fond of him though, for some reason; he always plays with them when their parents are getting haircuts.”

“Cute,” Jaehwan replies without thinking, and he hears rather than sees Wonshik splutter. Before he could get properly embarrassed with himself, Hakyeon yanks the cape off him with flourish and hands him his glasses.

“Well?” the barber prompts, stepping away, so when Jaehwan finally blinks the world back into focus he’s shocked by the sight of another boy in the mirror, one with his pointy ears and large glasses but a distinctly neater cut and a hint of styled bangs. It’s almost shocking how a simple trim could actually tame his wind-blown curls into something.

“Wow,” he breathes, and dares to look over at Wonshik, who’s watching him with the most peculiar expression. As their eyes meet, Wonshik blinks down at him, a surprisingly cute look on his normally grumpy expression. Then he ducks his head and looks off to the side, rubbing at the back of his neck while he opens and closes his mouth several times.

Then: “You look good.”

A pause, and large, dark eyes come back to meet his again. Jaehwan bites his lip, feeling a flutter in his chest as he watches Wonshik fidget in a motion that could only be described as _shy_ , and gaze wonderingly over at Jaehwan.

“… really, _really_  good.”


	14. Ravi/Ken - Maybe I'm In Heaven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hi!!! I gotta say i am a huge fan of your works ^^ you are pretty good, and productive to boot. Thats incredible, and i admire you so much (!!!) Also, since you are open for prompts, can i request bottom wonshik with neck kisses? I'd love to see wonshik being completely charmed and jaehwan biting his neck ^///^;) poly ships is also fine! Hehe. Thank you!! Have a great day and hope do well on your studies!!!
> 
> 16/05/12

“You have such a pretty voice,” Jaehwan giggles, chin propped up on one hand as he reaches over to bop Wonshik on the nose, smile widening when Wonshik blushes bright pink and covers his face.

“Stop that,” he protests weakly, feeling his heart pound in his chest. His wings flutter forwards as he instinctively attempts to hide, and Jaehwan scoffs, pushing aside the fluffy white feathers with a grin.

“Well, you are the angel of music,” he chuckles. “You can charm anybody with any song you so choose.”

“And _you_  are the angel of love, so will you please keep your lovely angelical powers in check before my poor heart beats its way out of my chest?” Wonshik retorts playfully, but he settles his wings back down onto the pile of pillows scattered amongst the bed. Jaehwan beams down at him, shifting forwards so he’s seated snugly across Wonshik’s hips, and flutters his own pink-tinted wings cheerfully.

“You’re cute. I don’t need to use any of my powers for you to fall completely for my charms; it’s au naturel, baby.”

Wonshik pretends to scoff, reaching up to push at Jaehwan’s shoulder for the sheer amount of cheesiness he was forced to go through at once, but Jaehwan is quicker. He catches Wonshik’s hand and grabs his wrist, turning it upwards and pressing a loud, smacking kiss onto his palm. Wonshik yelps and laughs, lifting his thigh and nearly dislodging Jaehwan.

“Hey! You goofball.”

“ _Your_  goofball,” Jaehwan corrects, and he’s clearly delighting in seeing just how red Wonshik’s face could possibly go by this point. It’s not fair, Wonshik bemoans silently to himself. Jaehwan, the literal embodiment of love, is unstoppable once he gets in a mood. And even though Wonshik adores his angel so much he thinks his heart might explode, Jaehwan always tries to amp things up when they’re alone together, just to see him practically squirm out of embarrassment or to overwhelm him completely.

Well, it is nice to get spoiled every once in a while, if only it didn’t leave him in a daze for the next few days or so while Jaehwan skips all over the place, practically a beacon of joy.

Warm lips touching the side of his neck makes him jump again, but Jaehwan has already stretched forwards without him noticing, pinning Wonshik flat onto the bed with the whole expanse of his front while he was having his internal dialogue. Cursing his own inattentiveness, Wonshik twitches and touches Jaehwan’s cheek with his fingertips, breath coming out short.

“Jaehwan,” he whines, and jerks again when he feels another kiss. It’s followed by another, and another, and another, until Jaehwan’s mouth right over his pulse, teeth barely scraping over skin, the tension between them tangible in the air. His hands fall all over the place— first he clutches at the tops of Jaehwan’s arms, nervous, but then his hands drop to Jaehwan’s thin wrists on top of his shoulders. Now he’s almost lax, fingers curled loosely against the side of Jaehwan’s hand. Wonshik stares up at the patterns on the high ceiling, blinking rapidly at the elegant grooves of what might be old Renaissance-era styles while Jaehwan’s kisses grow steadily bolder.

His mouth moves across Wonshik’s collarbones, warm, and Wonshik doesn’t know if it’s just Jaehwan’s effect, or if it’s his own overly-sensitive self, or a combination of both— the soft kisses leaves behind a bright kind of tingle beneath his skin, and it reminds him of what the brilliant afternoon sun feels on him, or when he touches something warm after being out in the cold for a while. It’s a feeling that spreads through his chest and down to the tips of his toes, making him whimper.

“Pretty voice,” Jaehwan whispers, voice husky now. He tilts his head up and kisses Wonshik’s chin, delicately tipping his head back with lean fingers, and smiles. “Pretty eyes too.”

And then he’s gone, mouth back on Wonshik’s neck, and he gasps when he feels Jaehwan suck harder, blunt teeth on skin, and tongue soothing over the area as he bites again and again.

When Jaehwan finally sits back, a satisfied smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, there’s a beautiful love bite blossoming on Wonshik’s neck, bright red against his skin.

“Look at that,” Jaehwan whispers, and Wonshik’s heart leaps up to his throat as he lies, wrecked and elated. “Prettiest angel I’ve ever set eyes on, and you’re _all mine_.”


	15. Ravi/Hyuk - We've Already Let Us Go (But Falling Seems To Hurt Even More)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hi! Your writing is fantastic and I hope to see more! prompt : Hyukvi; they're practicing their harmonization in Dynamite and Parting Hands.
> 
> 16/05/12

It’s well into the night when Wonshik finally mumbles out, “I think that’s the best we can do for now,” and reaches over to grab his phone. Sanghyuk makes a wordless noise of agreement as he slumps down in his seat, exhaustion pouring out of him in a long sigh.

His throat feels scratchy and dry, so he fumbles for his water bottle with limp fingers, half-asleep already. There’s a throbbing behind his eyes and he sincerely hopes it doesn’t get worse as the day progresses; he doesn’t need a lingering headache on top of everything.

Wonshik is fiddling with some papers, and just as Sanghyuk takes a sip of water, he says: “Can we practice our part in ‘Parting Hands’ before we go back to the dorm for the night?”

Sanghyuk nearly chokes on his gulp.

Wonshik casts him a look of concern when he coughs, and for a moment he wants to shout at the other, to tell him to take away his large puppy eyes before it could hurt more, but then the burn of the water goes down, and Sanghyuk breaks eye contact in favour of hacking into the crook of his elbow.

“Sure,” he rasps, looking at the desk between them. “Let’s do that.”

“Okay,” Wonshik replies, and there’s a smidgen of concealed concern in his voice. Others probably wouldn’t be able to detect it, but Sanghyuk’s not anybody. There are things he knows about Wonshik that might go by to the casual observer or an inattentive listener.

And likewise— he knows Wonshik can read into his way of speaking and mannerisms like he knows the back of his own hand.

How could they not, after all the time they’ve spent together in the past?

Wonshik doesn’t say anything when he starts the track from his phone. He sets it down with a clatter as Jaehwan’s soft voice fills the room, melancholic and sweet, but with an underlying hint of bitter sadness in it. The piano croons on in the back, and then Taekwoon’s voice joins in, pure, like a gust of cold wind that might double as a wake up-call from a feverish dream. But Hakyeon’s voice is filled with lingering warmth, and somehow, that sound is even more crushing than the sadness that lingers with Jaehwan and Taekwoon.

Then Wonshik straightens up as his part arrives, and he begins to rap. He gestures along while he does, languid hand movements that Sanghyuk can’t quite stop his gaze from following along, trailing over the long digits of Wonshik’s fingers, the large expanse of his palm.

His own hand aches with the phantom sensation of fingers linking together, a sharing of that warm, and the comfort that came along with it.

His part is coming up, and Sanghyuk nearly misses his cue. He trips over the first syllable but picks himself up fast, determinedly ignoring the way Wonshik glances over his way. Their voices, both relatively low, seem to rumble along like a cat’s purr. It’s a good mesh, and Sanghyuk hates that that fact both pleases him and depresses him.

Wonshik caps off his rap before rewinding a little, and Hakyeon’s voice is back again. He runs his hand through his hair, absent-minded, and Sanghyuk remembers the last time he had his hands in Wonshik’s hair— the colour was distinctly lighter, nearly white. That felt like eons ago.

Wonshik doesn’t lift his head anymore as they go through their harmonization again. His voice is uncharacteristically monotone, unlike his usual dynamic, emotion-filled performances. Professionalism could only get them so far, it seems, and Sanghyuk’s impressed they managed to last for hours practicing their parts together in such an enclosed space alone.

They let the song run on after their part ends. Perhaps Wonshik was too lost in thought to stop it, but Sanghyuk wasn’t going to say anything. There’s too much going on in his mind right now.

It was for the better, he reminds himself, and bites harshly down onto his lower lip. They’d fallen out of love. It was natural. Sometimes things don’t work out.

The burning in his eyes is relieved when an errant tear escapes and splashes down onto the table top, heavy with the weight of too many emotions. Sanghyuk heaves a breath and covers his mouth, unable to stop himself from curling inwards. But why did it have to hurt, though? They both agreed it wouldn’t last; the end was a mutual decision. Things had to go on, even if the memories of better things wanted to tug him back to the person that once made him so happy.

 _I’m sorry_ , Hongbin’s voice sings at the end.  _I don’t feel anything, even when I hold your hands_. Sanghyuk sees Wonshik turn away in the corner of his eye, and he suspects the elder might be crying as well.

 _I’m lonely_. Hakyeon’s voice whispers. _I’m strangely lonely, even when I’m with you_.


	16. OT3 (Ken/Ravi/Hyuk) - But For Me, I Know You'll Willingly Walk Into Your Own Demise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: deities jaehwan and wonsik develop an interest in mortal sanghyuk (conception au-ish?). maybe kind of dark?
> 
> 16/05/13

The way Taekwoon suddenly drops Sanghyuk’s hands like he’s been seared with fire startles him, but before he could say anything the Oracle was already striding away from him, full steps leaving Sanghyuk behind as he strolls through the dour underground chamber. Confusion fills him and Sanghyuk turns, chasing down the man.

“Wait, what happened? Why did you suddenly stop reading my future?”

Taekwoon rounds on him so suddenly Sanghyuk almost trips, but there’s something in the Oracle’s eyes— swirling masses of stars and constellations reflected in jet black orbs— that sends a chill through his bone and freezes him to the spot.

“Han Sanghyuk,” Taekwoon breathes, despair evident in his voice. “You have no future.”

Sanghyuk gapes uselessly, before he can barely find his footing again. “What? What do you mean? How can I have no future?”

Taekwoon waves a hand, expression conflicted, perhaps, but it’s mostly sad. “Your future disappears when you cease to exist.”

His stomach plummets harshly, but there’s still confusion. “Cease to exist? What does that mean? Do I die?”

“No, no,” Taekwoon shakes his head. He looks pained and uncomfortable, like there’s something crawling on his skin. “Even if you die in the mortal world, you will leave a trace. Others remember you. Things you have done in your lifetime leaves an impact on the world. But if you cease to exist, it will be as though you never lived.”

“But why?” Sanghyuk asks. He runs up, desperate, and grasps the front of Taekwoon’s strange, mirror-shirt. The scales crunch and make a strange tinkling sound beneath his palms. “Why would that happen? Tell me, please!”

“You will trespass into another world,” Taekwoon answers, vague. “Worlds where mortals are not meant to go, but someone will bring you there.”

Sanghyuk’s lower lip trembles. He can see the light in Taekwoon’s eyes. They both know who it might be.

“Jaehwan,” he whispers, brittle. “Or Wonshik.”

Taekwoon nods, slow. “You’ve invited Chaos and Death to your doors,” he says, solemn. “And this is how you meet your end.”

“What if I don’t choose? I don’t have to pick either of them,” Sanghyuk says, desperate, but Taekwoon is shaking his head again.

“That won’t be wise,” he warns. “Especially when one of them will meet his end over you.”

Sanghyuk’s hands are numb. There’s a ringing in his ears. “No,” he breathes, eyes wide, and Taekwoon opens his mouth, but before he could speak something crashes into his side, sending the Oracle flying into the wall some distance away. Sanghyuk screams when Taekwoon falls into a heap on the ground, unmoving, but then he feels a hand close on his wrist.

“Why are you here?” Wonshik hisses, tugging him away. “With _him_?”

“What did you _do_?” Sanghyuk fairly screams, grabbing the front of Wonshik’s robes. He’s a mess of black and mesh, swirling around him like a storm. “I was asking for help!”

“He can’t give you help,” Wonshik snarls, throwing a poisonous glare at Taekwoon’s slumped figure. “Oracles aren’t like those fortune-teller frauds in your world; they’re a part of the cog that turns the universe. They’re _never_ meant to help.”

“How else am I supposed to prepare for anything then? I’m always left in the dark!”

“You don’t get it,” Wonshik shakes his head. He pulls at Sanghyuk, insistent, but Sanghyuk digs his heels into the ground.

“I want to know,” he retorts, feeling an unnatural chill go down his spine. Wonshik’s whole body twitches, and his eyes flit over Sanghyuk’s shoulder. There’s a breath of winter cold air at the nape of his neck, making goosebumps rise on his skin, and hands settle suddenly on his shoulders, large and weighty.

“He’s got a point,” Jaehwan croons by his ear, not even bothering to apologize for his silent and shocking arrival. “Our love here does deserve to know. However—”

The hands spin him around, and Sanghyuk’s suddenly stuck in an awkward position with his arm still stuck in Wonshik’s grip as he faces Jaehwan, who grasps his chin delicately and looms over him. He’s a picture of ice cold white; a sharp figure in the otherwise dark room.

“Wonshikkie is right. An Oracle will never give you the real answer,” Jaehwan whispers, eyes boring into Sanghyuk’s. “They simply just can’t understand.”

“And the two of you do?” Sanghyuk snaps, twisting out of both gods’ holds. He steps away from the two, and he doesn’t miss the way both gods immediately glower at each other, the hatred palpable in their expressions. Frustration rises in him; was he supposed to play mediator for those two? Without him as a buffer, Wonshik and Jaehwan were always nearly seconds away from ripping out each other’s throats.

“We can show you,” Wonshik says lowly. “We promised you, didn’t we? We’d take you into the immortals’ world. There are answers.”

“Taekwoon said I don’t belong there,” Sanghyuk replies, and Jaehwan snorts.

“You have us,” he says, gesturing between himself and Wonshik. “Nobody will dare even look your way.”

“Just come,” Wonshik adds. “It’s a much bigger world out there.”

 _And this is how you meet your end_ , Taekwoon’s voice murmurs in the back of his mind. Sanghyuk swallows hard, edging away from the two gods before him. He knows their love (too well, by now), but he also knows they have no sense of anything mortal. Taekwoon’s warning is ominous, but could he be trusted? Should he go? Would he disappear? And what of the terrible prediction that one of the, Jaehwan or Wonshik, would die over him? What were the real consequences?

 _Han Sanghyuk_ , Taekwoon’s voice whispers again, fading like smoke and the remnants of his hope. _You have no future_.


	17. Ravi/Ken - Puppy Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Kenvi au where Jaehwan works at a pet shelter and Wonshik is terrified of animals, but volunteers there because he thinks Jaehwan is the cutest thing in the world :)
> 
> 16/05/13

“Wonshik,” Jaehwan says, ever so patient. “Just hold out your hand, it’s okay.”

“I— I— I _am_ ,” Wonshik sweats, fingertips trembling as he extends his hand as far as it would go. Meanwhile, he’s leaning back as far as he can, doing some weird rendition of the scene in the Matrix where the main character is dodging bullets, and Jaehwan is looking at him, a mixture of exasperation and amusement on his face.

“Wonshik, this is a _rabbit_ ,” he says, holding up the fluffy white bunny. “I promise you, it will not bite.”

“That is such a lie,” Wonshik gasps, flinching involuntarily. “Rabbits bite everything within biteable range and you know it.”

“True, but humans aren’t really on their priority list,” Jaehwan laughs. “C’mon, I need to check his temperature. Don’t dwaddle.”

Anxiety fills him, but Wonshik bites his lip and scooches forwards a little more and extends his other hand, cupping his palms. Jaehwan carefully lowers a little rabbit onto his hands, and Wonshik jolts so badly he nearly kicks the empty cage on the floor aside.

“Look at me,” Jaehwan commands, still unbelievably patient, and Wonshik gulps, willing himself not to blush as he makes eye contact with the other man. Slowly and deliberately, Jaehwan fully lowers the bunny into his hands and leans forwards, pinching the sleeve of Wonshik’s volunteering shirt.

“Closer,” Jaehwan says, clucking his tongue, and before Wonshik could protest he’s being tugged forwards. Suddenly, he gets a handful of warm, twitchy bunny cradled against his chest and a much closer look of Jaehwan’s face. His heart nearly skids to a stop in his chest when Jaehwan beams at him, showing off crinkles around his eyes and the dazzling smile.

“See, was it so bad?” he asks as he fumbles with a tiny thermometer. Wonshik exhales shakily, willing himself to stay calm. His focus shifts onto a small freckle on Jaehwan’s lip while the shelter worker diligently checks up on the rabbit’s vitals. Their hands brush occasionally as Jaehwan runs his fingers along the rabbit’s back or touches his head, motions full of softness, and before Wonshik knows it the check up is over, the rabbit is back in its cage and Jaehwan is leaning over to pick it up, smiling at the cheerful animal bouncing about inside.

“Binnie gets a healthy stamp of approval,” he nods, and then flashes a dazed Wonshik another smile. “Are you okay to help me check up on a few more animals before your shift is over?”

“Y-yeah,” Wonshik nods, nearly tripping over the bench as he scrambles back to his feet. ‘Binnie’ leaps towards him, and he can’t help but jolt away, making a high-pitched noise of surprise, and it makes Jaehwan giggle all over again.

“You are such a scaredy-cat,” he teases, looping his arm through Wonshik’s elbow as he tugs them towards the back of the shelter. “Why on earth are you volunteering at an animal shelter if you’re so jumpy all the time?”

Wonshik gulps and rubs at the back of his neck with his free hand. _Because you’re so cute and I could stare at you surrounded by super cute animals all day_  didn’t seem like an appropriate response, so he settled for a simple, “Oh, y’know… I had time on my hands and I thought I might as well do something productive.”

Jaehwan nods, making his floofy hair bounce. “Well, I’m glad you’re here,” he chuckles. “It’s a real pleasure working with you, and having company during the day! Now… who’s next for their check up?”

He steps away from Wonshik to peer at the various types of animals in the room, which is perfectly fine, really, because Wonshik’s fairly certain Jaehwan would have to catch him when he fainted out of sheer happiness. A real pleasure— god, Jaehwan could make clichéd business phrases sound sweet to the ear.

“Alrighty, Hyukkie, I guess it’s you,” he hears Jaehwan say, and before he could properly brace himself he spies a huge golden retriever practically bound out of the open door of his cage towards him. Wonshik screams, actually falling backwards onto his butt, but Jaehwan just tugs on the leash and reigns Hyukkie back, keeping him out of reach.

“ _Easy_ ,” Jaehwan tuts, scratching behind Hyukkie’s ears as the dog grins at Wonshik. He’s practically a menace. “Don’t go jumping on poor Wonshik!”

Hyukkie barks, loud and clear, and Wonshik barely holds in a wince as he straightens himself. He puffs out a breath, hands on his waist, and Jaewhan clucks his tongue again.

“Are you sure you’re okay to work?” he asks, concerned. “You’re pale.”

“I’m fine,” Wonshik insists quickly, waving his hands. “Honestly, Hyukkie just surprised me, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting him to jump so quickly.”

“Well, don’t push yourself,” Jaehwan scolds. “Even if you want to help animals, if you’re afraid of them you have to get used to them little by little.”

“Teach me then,” Wonshik blurts out, unthinkingly, and he flushes when Jaehwan’s eyebrows go up. “Please,” he adds, fidgeting, and Jaehwan throws his head back, laughing.

“Oh, you’re such a teddy bear,” he jokes, and Wonshik jolts again when Jaehwan suddenly takes his hand. He places the leather leash into Wonshik’s palm, folding his fingers over it, and then places his own hand overtop.

“There,” Jaehwan grins, waving their joined hands together, barely noticing Wonshik’s stunned expression and possibly short-circuiting brain. “How about this to start things off?”

“Y-yeah,” Wonshik stammers, weak at the knees. Jaehwan’s hands are warm around his, and he can barely believe this is actually happening. “Yeah… let’s start off with this.”


	18. OT6 (Leo centric) - You're Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: hi hi!! if you feel like writing it, could I request ot6 (n/leo/ravi centric) where leo collapsed during a dance practice and the others are there to take care of him?
> 
> 16/05/14

There’s a jumble of noise above him, and Taekwoon doesn’t really want to hear it right now. There’s a phantom kind of ringing in his ears, and it echoes around his head. His limbs are heavy, like there’s an extra weight keeping them pinned to the floor. Something cool touches the base of his neck and he flinches involuntarily, but the motions makes everything spin, and he ceases it.

“Taekwoon?” someone says above him. “Taekwoon, can you open your eyes?”

He’s vaguely aware that it’s Hakyeon’s voice, and it’s a mixture of his leader voice and and kind of carefully controlled worry. Sluggishly, he forces his eyelids open, and he can see a slightly blurry form hovering above him.

“Taekwoon, I’m going to put a straw in your mouth. It’s juice, can you take a sip for me?”

He groans, tries to mumble something in agreement, but he’s not quite sure it carries across. But either way, the straw pokes at his mouth, and he accepts it, sipping weakly. It’s fruit punch, sweet and sugary on his tongue, and he takes a few gulps.

“Easy now,” Hakyeon soothes, touching his cheek. “Don’t drink too much right now. Sanghyuk, can you pull the mat over?”

Hands rub at his back, in slow, circular motions, and he falls back into the familiar touch. There’s more movement, and then it’s suddenly Wonshik’s voice coming from behind.

“Taekwoon, we’re gonna roll you onto the mat right now, okay?”

He grunts, because really, he’s not in any place to really say anything right now, but he’s surprised by the arms suddenly wrapping around him, cradling his head as he’s lifted a foot off the ground, and then the squashy surface of the mat cushions his shoulder as he’s laid down again.

“Drink, Taekwoon,” Hakyeon tells him, and the straw is back. He sips again, an ache in the back of his throat. The world around him is sharpening though, even if it does feel like he’s just woken up from a year-long slumber.

“Slowly,” Hakyeon mumbles, rubbing his forearm. “How do you feel?”

“… alright,” Taekwoon croaks out. Wonshik is still holding an ice pack against the back of his neck, and he’s still rubbing his back soothingly.

“Okay, stay there for now then,” Hakyeon instructs. “Hongbin, get him to drink the rest of the juice, but not all at once. I’m going to see if Jaehwan’s found someone to help. Sanghyuk, if anything else happens, come find me.”

“Right,” the two youngest chorus from above, and then knees appear by the edge of the mat and the straw is offered once more.

“Here,” Hongbin says. “Geez, you’ve really wrecked yourself this time, Taekwoon.”

“Shh,” Wonshik grumbles. “You’re going to stress him out talking like that.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Hongbin replies, and Taekwoon sighs. He wants to sit up just so the others won’t fuss.

“There’s a bit of colour back in his lips now,” Sanghyuk observes. “Should we get him another juice pack?”

“… Let’s wait ‘till Hakyeon comes back,” Wonshik suggests, and then he leans over Taekwoon’s shoulder. His thumbs rub on his upper arms, gentle. “Is that okay with you, Taekwoon? Or do you want another drink?”

“ ‘m fine,” Taekwoon whispers. “Really.”

“This is why you have to tell us before you crash,” Hongbin says, moving the empty juice box away. “Honestly, I thought Wonshik was going to faint out of shock next.”

“I was not,” Wonshik groans. “Don’t say things like that!”

“There, there,” Sanghyuk soothes, patting Wonshik on the shoulder. “It’s alright, nobody’s hurt, and Jaehwan already ran out for help.”

“He and Hakyeon’ll be back soon,” Wonshik murmurs. His touch is soft as he combs Taekwoon’s bangs back, away from his face. “You’re okay, right?”

“Yeah,” Taekwoon breathes. His muscles are still limp and he still feels weak, but the others are here with him. He’ll trust in them.


	19. OT3 (N/Leo/Hyuk) - Illicit Means (For Illicit Pleasure)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Can I have a leohyukn nc-17 fic where hyuk is the top and Leo and N are his bottoms? And found there be a part where hyuk is fucking N from behind and N is getting a mouth full of Leo's cock. Thanks!
> 
> 16/05/14
> 
> *nsfw

_Illicit means for illicit pleasures_ — that’s what Hakyeon used to say, which might’ve been something he read out of a poetry book way back in the day or possibly picked up from some indie song nobody’s ever heard of, which is really such a Hakyeon-like thing in itself. He’s always been a rather distant figure for as long as Sanghyuk could remember, always just a man with the dazzling smile and the hips to die for, forever just out of Sanghyuk’s reach.

In contrast, Taekwoon is personal, but once they got to know each other, he’s grown increasingly open towards Sanghyuk and interestingly dependant. He knew Hakyeon and Taekwoon had their own history together, but the three of them were bound to end up in some tangled mess together once Hakyeon and Taekwoon both turned to him, and somewhere in between that liminal state, Sanghyuk found himself slowly turning into some sort of pillar for the two to cling to. That’s probably what’s surprising about their relationship.

Hakyeon’s spine flexes fluidly when Sanghyuk’s lips touch the base of his neck and trail downwards, following the smooth curve with his mouth until he reaches the dip of Hakyeon’s back. His hands are large enough to grasp at Hakyeon’s gorgeous hips and still press his thumbs into the small dimples on Hakyeon’s back, just a faint excess of pressure that anchors the man between him and Taekwoon.

Taekwoon is sitting against the headboard, still wearing those incredibly tight jeans that nearly made Sanghyuk pop a boner right on Taekwoon’s doorstep, but he’s lost his shirt somewhere along the way. The thin silver chain Sanghyuk and Hakyeon gifted him for his twenty-sixth birthday glitters under the dimmed light in the bedroom, an elegant line that curves over Taekwoon’s collarbones. His legs are spread, accommodating Hakyeon between them, and he’s got Hakyeon’s chin cupped in one hand while the other strokes through Hakyeon’s sleek black hair, which has yet to be properly rumpled.

“You look so good,” Taekwoon says, gently wiping away the tears that pool at the corners of Hakyeon’s eyes when Sanghyuk fucks into him slowly, thighs straining with the effort of keeping himself upright and not picking up the pace until Hakyeon’s properly adjusted. Hakyeon moans, eyes falling shut, and his arms quiver minutely. Sanghyuk chews his lower lip, thinking.

“Hakyeon,” he calls, squeezing the elder’s waist to get his attention, to help him focus. “Hakyeon, I need you to do something for me.”

“W-what could y-you _possibly_  want me to do right now?” Hakyeon pants, voice wracked with pleasure, and Sanghyuk thrusts forwards again, gradually picking up the pace. He knows he’s being mean, not quite giving Hakyeon the time to catch his breath, not when they’re in this position.

“I need to see you suck Taekwoon off,” he whispers, and sees Hakyeon’s back arch at the very words; sees Taekwoon’s gaze snap up to him. He reaches forwards and places his hand under Hakyeon’s chin as well, lifting his head and brushing his fingers against Taekwoon’s as well. “You can do it, I know you can. You’re so good, Hakyeon, please.”

Hakyeon whimpers— honest to god _whimpers_ — but he fumbles at Taekwoon’s jeans all the same, motions a little stilted because of how Sanghyuk keeps on going faster, knocking him slightly off balance with each thrust. Taekwoon doesn’t move; he lets Hakyeon move at his own speed and only sighs when Hakyeon swallows around him, head dropping back against the headboard with a _thunk_.

“Look at him,” Sanghyuk says at once, and Taekwoon groans, eyes opening to meet Sanghyuk’s gaze. He holds it, firm. “Don’t take your eyes off Hakyeon. I want you to watch him get you off.”

“Christ,” Taekwoon chokes out, but he lowers his eyes to Hakyeon regardless. His hands are clenched so tightly around the pillowcases Sanghyuk thinks they might tear.

But Hakyeon only sucks harder, hands moving where his mouth isn’t, and Taekwoon’s chest rises and falls with a rapidly increasing pace, almost in time with Sanghyuk’s quickening thrusts. Hakeyon drops unexpectedly onto his elbows and Sanghyuk accidentally pushes deeper, startling a muffled moan out of him. Taekwoon jerks, Hakyeon’s name spilling from his lips in a half-shout as he comes, hips twitching. Hakyeon pulls back, heaving for air, and Sanghyuk folds himself forwards, pressing right against Hakyeon’s back.

“Perfect,” he tells the two of them, and his hand closes around Hakyeon’s cock, stroking him until Hakyeon is nearly crying through his release, his hand clutching at Taekwoon’s limp one at the intensity of it. And Sanghyuk doesn’t stop speaking through it all, because he has to let the two of them know.

“You’re beautiful,” he gasps, heart jackrabbiting in his chest as he takes in Taekwoon’s and Hakyeon’s wrecked expressions. This was all he could do for them. “Both of you. You’re both so beautiful.”


	20. Leo/Ken - Tasteful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: keo au where ken is a gastronomy student and new assistant in chef leo's restaurant (chef leo always acts indifferent, but actually think ken is really cute) // I love your blog! ♥
> 
> 16/05/15

“No,” Taekwoon says out loud the moment he senses someone creeping up behind him, and a second later there’s a loud _awww!_  from behind.

“You didn’t even hear what I was about to say!” Jaehwan whines, spinning around until he’s facing Taekwoon, who snorts and flips the page of the newspaper over.

“You’re going to ask for another bite of the salmon,” he says, and Jaehwan pouts, crossing his arms. “You already ate your portion; stay away from mine.”

“But it’s so, so, _so_  good,” Jaehwan groans, flopping over the table. He tilts his head to the side and sticks out his lower lip again, making his eyes huge and watery. “Please, please, can I have one bite of yours?”

“You could make this recipe yourself,” Taekwoon points out, arching an eyebrow, and Jaehwan makes a high-pitched noise of annoyance.

“But it’s not the same!” he cries. “It’s not your salmon! There’s a huge difference!”

“As it should be,” Taekwoon snarks back, but he has to lift the newspaper up all the same, if only to hide the faint hints of red on his cheeks. If there was one thing he still can’t get used to after all this time (and he’s been through Jaehwan’s loudness, weird tastes, and spontaneous bouts of musical imitations during peak hours in the kitchen), it’s how candid his new assistant’s compliments can be. Worst of all, it’s completely genuine, and Taekwoon has never been good at accepting honest, high praise.

Something catches his eye, and he looks up, watching in faint amusement as Jaehwan’s large nose surfaces slowly over the edge of the paper first, rising higher and higher until rest of his face follows, revealing his assistant doing an incredibly accurate fish imitation, completely with wide eyes and a ‘blubing’ mouth.

“ _Pwease_ ,” Jaehwan garbles cutely. “One bite?”

“Go sample the other desserts for this evening’s menu, Jaehwan,” Taekwoon says instead, raising his finger with the intent to flick, and he doesn’t have to repeat himself twice. Jaehwan is already clambering out of his seat and zipping across the restaurant, which is empty except for his kitchen staff sitting scattered around the room, all sampling the food they’ll be cooking tonight.

Taekwoon quirks his lips as he watches Jaehwan accost Hongbin, demanding a bite out of a matcha green tea crepe cake now. He’d been worried the state of their already hectic kitchen when his former assistant, Sojin, had gone on maternity leave and everybody had to adjust to a new sous that was nothing like their highly proficient, non-nonsense Sojin. But— it seems like there hadn’t been much to worry about after all.

+

The buzz of a good night’s worth of cooking always takes a couple of hours to fade once they’ve closed down for the night, and Taekwoon always revels in it. This is usually prime time for brainstorming or experimenting with foods, because he’s on a roll and it’s such a shame not to take advantage of the lingering scents of food and brainwaves flooding through him at the time. So even as the others have cleared up, packed their things and bade him goodnight, Taekwoon’s still hovering by the stove, cooking and jotting down notes as he works.

Normally, it’s a silent process, punctured only by the sizzle of the pan or the hum of the vent, but tonight there’s the faint sounds of humming again, because Jaehwan is staying behind to keep him company.

He’s well aware that Jaehwan has a habit of sketching things out rather than making notes the way he’s used to, and it threw him off, initially. But then again, Jaehwan is a gastronomy student, and it seems that the visual component of _making_  food look great was really something he’s gunning for.

Tonight, Jaehwan is seated by Hongbin’s clean dessert corner, bouncing his leg as his pen moves quickly across the pages of his battered Moleskin. His apron is bunched up on his lap and the buttons of his uniform undone at the top. His hair is even frizzier than usual, which is generally an indication that they’d all worked hard that night. Taekwoon watches him sketch until the timer goes off on his phone and he turns the stove off, basking in the scent of a new version of his lobster cream soup.

Dipping the spoon into the pot, he cools a portion of a soft puff of air before walking carefully over to Jaehwan, who looks up when he notices Taekwoon come over.

“Open,” Taekwoon says, blunt, but Jaehwan’s eyes light up like a child’s on Christmas day, and he eagerly pitches forwards. He reminds Taekwoon of a baby bird, eager for a meal, and the assistant practically wiggles his way off his seat once he’s drank the spoonful.

“Truly the work of the King of the Kitchen,” Jaehwan crows, hands pressed to his cheeks. “Oh my god, I think my tastebuds are having their own party.”

“Don’t exaggerate,” Taekwoon says, both mortified and gratified at the praise. Jaehwan just chuckles, sparkling at him with a beautiful smile and crescent-shaped eyes.

“I call it like I see it,” he insists, and Taekwoon swears he’ll die of some kind of sugar overdose if he listens to Jaehwan anymore.

“You can take more,” he mumbles, holding out the spoon, and Jaehwan grabs it at once, bounding over to the pot. Taekwoon covers his face and drops his weight against the dessert station, shaking his head. There’s a smile on his lips as he listens to Jaehwan sample more of his soup with a blissful expression.

Cute, his mind supplies him. That assistant chef is just so _cute_.


	21. N/Hyuk - Worth The Wait

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Never thought I'd request a Hakyeon/Sanghyuk fic. Just couldn't get this out of my head. "The desire had been there for a while now. He had just chosen to ignore it. Sanghyuk was the baby, after all. Hakyeon wasn't sure if he was excited or terrified by the prospect of finally being able to touch him, even if only for the sake of the choreography for their song, "Chained Up". What Hakyeon didn't know was that Sanghyuk was just waiting for a sign from his hyung that his feelings were returned."
> 
> 16/05/16

The first thing Taekwoon says when Hakyeon finishes unloading his spiel onto him is: “Hakyeon. I think you’re overthinking things right now.”

“Well, that’s just perfect,” Hakyeon answers, scowling. “Glad to hear a proper diagnosis about my complicated feelings.”

Taekwoon slants him a dull glare and nudges him lightly on the side of his head, gently teasing. “You know that’s not what I meant,” he replies, downing the last of his water with a quick gulp. “I’m just saying, maybe pay more attention to Sanghyuk instead of your own thoughts right now.”

“What does that mean?” Hakyeon asks, confused. He pushes his bangs back and dabs at his forehead with a piece of tissue, wincing when he feels the paper stick to his sweaty skin. It’s been a long practice; the heat is making him cranky, exhaustion is making him achy, and the thought of Sanghyuk, as usual, is making him go crazy.

“I mean,” Taekwoon sighs deeply, “Is that you should watch the way he reacts to the things you say and do rather than constantly worry if he’ll ever accept your feelings or not.”

He opens his mouth to speak, but a moment later, when no other thought manages to surface to his brain, Hakyeon closes his mouth with a snap and taps his foot against the floor, thinking. His gaze flits over to Sanghyuk, who’s talking to Jaehwan and Wonshik while Hongbin lies face first on the mat, a puddle after their intense practice. Sanghyuk is laughing at something Jaehwan said, shoulders hunching up with laughter, but when he turns his head slightly and catches Hakyeon’s eye, his wide smile fades slightly. Instead, a secretive little smile makes the corners of his lip twitch upwards before he looks back to the others. Hakyeon sighs, looking down at his laces, but Taekwoon suddenly elbows him in the ribs, sharp.

“ _Look_ ,” he mutters, and Hakyeon looks back up, both startled and confused.

He sees Sanghyuk, who’s still sitting, but he’s angled a little more towards Hakyeon’s side now. He can see the younger laughing and talking a little more fully, and there’s a little bit of red on Sanghyuk’s face that might’ve been from the heat of the room during the practice— or maybe it’s something else.

“You have to pay attention,” Taekwoon adds under his breath, which is mighty rich coming from the guy who’s so lost in his own world sometimes he occasionally mixes the salt and sugar up, but Hakyeon declines to make any funny comments about Taekwoon’s disappointingly salty coffees for the time being.

“I don’t know,” he mumbles, scratching at his neck. He hates feeling wrong-footed like this; he’s normally outgoing and being confident in taking the first step is a packaged deal with leader duties. But this— a _relationship_  and a _confession_ — it’s still such a foreign feeling, a confusing aspect to dive into.

“I wasn’t going to say anything, but this is dragging out for too long,” Taekwoon announces all of a sudden. He straightens up and looks Hakyeon dead in the eye before continuing. “Sanghyuk is waiting for you. So you better step up and do something before the moment passes.”

Hakyeon’s jaw unhinges slightly; Taekwoon is hardly ever this bold with his words. It shows that _he’s_  probably been thinking a lot about this for the two of them two.

“Also, before someone else possibly comes into the picture,” Taekwoon suddenly adds as an afterthought, and the moment he says that, a spike of panic and momentary jealousy shoots through Hakyeon. It leaves him stunned, and before he could reply, Taekwoon pats him on the shoulder, rounds on his heels, and strolls off, humming cheerfully to himself.

“What the hell,” Hakyeon breathes, and crumples the paper cup into an anxious ball.

+

It still takes him another week, and possibly more nagging stares from Taekwoon. Even Hongbin seems to be in on this by now, if the constant pushiness he shows towards leaving Sanghyuk alone with Hakyeon. They’re meddlers, he realizes when Hongbin practically shoves Wonshik and Jaehwan out of the door of their dorm, saying something about going to get some extra practice in. He turns to Sanghyuk, who’s sitting at the kitchen table with his headphones in, mouthing along to Chained Up. Memories of the morning’s practice run floods in, and the phantom feeling of Sanghyuk’s shoulder beneath his palm, the sensation of the floppy sweater and the roughness of Sanghyuk’s washed-out jeans still linger on him. 

“Hyukkie,” he calls, before he could stop himself. “Are you busy right now?”

“Hm?” Sanghyuk blinks, looking up. His bangs are still damp from the shower he took earlier, and it hangs scraggily over his eyes. “Not really. What is it?”

“I was wondering,” Hakyeon wavers, scratching at the back of his neck. “D’you want to go grab some dinner with me?”

“Sure,” Sanghyuk nods, a grin on his face, and Hakyeon ploughs on quickly before he could chicken out of this.

“Just the two of us,” he blurts out recklessly, suddenly very breathless. “Like a date.”

The surprise is evident on Sanghyuk’s face once he hears the words, but after a beat in which he processes the request (and it felt like years to Hakyeon’s pounding heart), he nods again, this time with a smaller, slightly shyer smile.

“Sure,” Sanghyuk answers again, and the breath he’s been holding all along escapes him in one go. “Yeah— for sure.”


	22. N/Hyuk - Timid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: we all know hakyeon have been complaining for sanghyuk being too tough and not being able to touch him like previously, hence : prompt, sanghyuk avoids hakyeon's touches because he feels shy(?) hehehe~ thankyou so much ^^
> 
> 16/05/16

The hand that immediately moves to ruffle his hair makes him jump reflexively; it’s as though Hakyeon has a radar sometimes, and it’s constantly honing in on when Sanghyuk has done something excessively cute or possibly just a little sweeter than usual.

“Aw, you finally cleaned up the mess in the living room,” Hakyeon says brightly, long fingers tangling in the soft strands at the top of his head, but that’s not all. The motion then moves just a little downwards until Hakyeon’s more stroking his hair than actually ruffling it. And it’s not the same as when Taekwoon musses his hair up because he’s annoyed Sanghyuk stole the last piece of fried fish during dinner, or when Jaehwan just likes messing with his bangs and pushing everything out of place.

Hakyeon’s touch always seems to start off playful, mischievous, but somehow it always ends up soft, and to be honest, Sanghyuk has no idea how to deal with that.

Because really, how can you tell someone that just a simple _touch_  could make you feel like you want to fly to the moon and back?  

“You’ve been bugging me for days,” he whines, ducking out of Hakyeon’s touch. The elder pouts, hand still hovering where Sanghyuk’s head was, but then he lowers it, and Sanghyuk tries not to feel bad. “You would’ve talked my ear off otherwise.”

“Well, who was the one who didn’t clear up his own snack wrappers first?” Hakyeon asks, arching an eyebrow, and damn, he’s got a point.

“I’ll remember next time,” Sanghyuk grumbles, smoothing down the hair in the back.

“There better not be a next time,” Hakyeon scolds jokingly, and Sanghyuk just nods, edging his way further from the elder.

“Yeah, yeah, I will!” he calls over his shoulder, and scurries away before Hakyeon could say something else.

Or, touch him again.

+

He’s built up a weird kind of strategy into avoiding Hakyeon’s touches; sometimes he’d stop the elder before they could even make contact, or else he’d shift out of the way. The kicked puppy look sometimes works too, if Hakyeon’s feeling soft that day, or otherwise he’s subjected to warm backhugs or Hakyeon dropping his chin onto his shoulder at every turn.

It’s not a bad feeling, Sanghyuk has sort of come to think. It’s just— everything makes him so _warm_  on the inside.

“You used to be so cuddly,” Hakyeon sighs, patting him on the ankle when the two of them are seated on the floor, organizing some papers. “Nowadays you won’t even sit on the same side I’m on. Whatever happened to the little baby Sanghyuk who looked up to his elders?”

“I’m still him,” Sanghyuk snorts. “Just taller. Are you getting old and nostalgic?”

“Funny,” Hakyeon squints, and flicks at crumpled piece of paper in his direction. “Did you know that hugs actually have healing properties? It makes people happy.”

“Well, I’m happy without hugs too, you know,” Sanghyuk jokes.

“I just want some human contact, damn it!” Hakyeon wails, throwing his hands up. “Why did you have to grow up so manly?!”

“You’re making such a fuss,” Sanghyuk retorts, but his insides are fluttering recklessly. Hakyeon calling him _manly_  is such a weird, paradoxical feeling, because out of all of them, who manages the most of their activities? Who did his best to help keep them on track as they grew into VIXX, and who still takes the lead into their spotlight with unparalleled confidence?

Sanghyuk might’ve learned, yes, but sometimes, it feels like Hakyeon’s been there from the start.

Fingers trail over his shoulder when Hakyeon walks past, recycling in hand, and Sanghyuk can’t help but flinch away, the ticklish sensation making goosebumps rise. Heat crawls up his neck, and he rubs at his skin, trying to hide it.

He thinks he might’ve heard Hakyeon sigh, and he wishes he didn’t feel so insecure or shy around their leader somedays.

+ 

It happens when he catches a bad fever after filming out in the rain one afternoon; the next day Sanghyuk wakes up with cold sweat on his forehead, a scratchiness in his throat and unnatural aches everywhere in his bones. Wonshik finds him first, exhausted and only able to sit up in bed, and immediately fetches Hakyeon.

Hakyeon bustles in barely seconds later, and he takes one look at Sanghyuk before planting his hands firmly on Sanghyuk’s shoulders and pushing him back under the covers.

“Stay,” he orders firmly. “Taekwoon and I will go buy medicine.”

And honestly, Sanghyuk’s in no fit shape to argue back anymore. He lies in bed, head throbbing, and listens to the others get ready for the morning. Wonshik returns with a cold compress and Hongbin leaves him a glass of water before they’re silent again, letting him rest.

He doesn’t recall when Hakyeon returns, but he’s woken up by the feeling of a hand on his cheek, cool against his feverish skin.

“Hyukkie?” Hakyeon asks, soft. “How do you feel? Can you sit up and take the medicine?”

“Yeah,” he groans, rolling onto his side. “Yeah… sure.”

Warm arms wrap around his shoulder and pull him up. The world tilts badly for a moment before he’s propped up against Hakyeon’s side. His head drops of its own violation onto Hakyeon’s shoulder, but Hakyeon simply lets it happen. He places the cold compress on the back of Sanghyuk’s neck and fumbles with the package on his lap, a brand new box of medicine with the receipt still stuck on the back.

Sanghyuk waits until his eyes droop back shut, too tired to keep them open. But the feeling of Hakyeon breathing by his side is soothing, and the low pulse of his heartbeat in his ear is calming and welcoming as the man he knows he’s come to fall in love with.


	23. Ravi/Ken - Maybe I'm (Very) Jealous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Based off Ravi's line in 'Dynamite' ("Maybe I'm Jealous") - Can I get a RaKen with jealous Ravi?
> 
> 16/05/16

“Oh ho,” Hongbin says suddenly, eyes sweeping over to the doorway of the ballroom. He grins, shark-like, and pats Wonshik on the shoulder, jolting him a little. “Look who just arrived.”

He doesn’t need to turn to know that it’s Jaehwan, and he’s definitely here with someone Wonshik really doesn’t want to see him with, but he turns his head anyway.

What he sees makes his blood boil in his veins.

“Damn,” Hongbin wolf-whistles from behind, taking a sip of his wine as he eyes Taekwoon walk into the room, long legs beautifully accentuated by the smart cut of his navy blue suit. Jaehwan trails along after the silent man, smiling and greeting other attendees at the evening ball. He’s a sight to behold as well, with his bright blond hair gelled back and the sleek black suit tailored to fit ever curve of his body.

And yes, Wonshik could handle a hot Jaehwan showing up with an equally hot Taekwoon; he gave credit where credit was due. But what really got to him tonight was the fact that those two went ahead and _matched_  their outfits— shiny gold buttons on both of their double-breasted coats and bowties that looked as though the were matte black. How on earth they found bowties that specific was beyond Wonshik, but he could hardly care about any of that right now.

All he could see was Jaehwan curl his hand into the crook of Taekwoon’s elbow, smile beautifully at the people around him, and do his absolute best to ruin Wonshik’s night.

When he finally tore his eyes away from the pair, he had to force himself to unfurl his hands, which had balled themselves into tight fists. Hongbin watched him snatch up a flute of bright pink champagne and down it in a fast gulp, barely wincing at the sweet taste.

“You two are so messed up,” his friend laughs, shaking his head. Wonshik only grunts and checks his watch, trying not to grind his teeth now.

Well, Hongbin wasn’t wrong about that.

+

Dinner was a disaster, to say in the least. They knew ahead of time they would be sitting at the same table, along with some of their other friends, but Jaehwan was really amping things up tonight, deliberately acting coy and cuddly with everybody but Wonshik, so simply took sip after sip of champagne and glared at his steak like it had personally offended him.

Jaehwan spent the time eating appetizers leaning against Taekwoon, whispering secretively into his ear while teasing his date with bits of food off the end of his fork. When he caught Wonshik’s glare, Taekwoon simply chewed his bite and stared blandly back, clearly aware of Jaehwan being a little shit and Wonshik’s uncurbed jealousy.

_What, it’s not my fault_ , Taekwoon’s dull stare seemed to convey, and Wonshik spears his fork through his cherry tomato. A bit of red juice squirts out on the side onto the smooth, pristine surface of the plate.

Of course it wasn’t Taekwoon’s fault, but that didn’t mean he had to feel any better watching Jaehwan strip off his jacket when the heat of the alcohol begin to kick in, showing off how his waistcoat tucked in his already trim waist.

Wonshik sort of wants to grab Jaehwan around that tiny middle and toss him against the wall— and knowing Jaehwan, he’d yank Wonshik even closer and mash their lips together, laughing at him through their kiss.

_Missed me that bad, you needy boy?_  he’d snicker, riling Wonshik up.

He has to close his eyes and wills his lower half to stay calm during the rest of the dinner.

Jaehwan makes him suffer for another good three hours with knowing looks, little smiles and more languid motions than necessary before it’s time to leave. And instead of going over to Taekwoon’s, Jaehwan drapes his long coat over his own shoulders, sidles up to Wonshik’s side, and bats his eyelashes in a nauseating manner.

“Got room for one more at your place tonight?” he asks, breathy, and Wonshik automatically lifts a hand and places it at Jaehwan’s waist, holding him firmly.

“I dunno,” he replies lowly, not quite ready to surrender to Jaehwan’s tactics yet. “Depends on who’s staying, I might not have room.”

Jaehwan’s answering smirk and the reply that follows is a reminder that Wonshik can’t really win, no matter how hard he tries:

“That’s fine; there’s plenty of space at mine.”

+

He wakes the next morning at an ungodly hour, right before the sun has properly risen and is still working its way up into the sky. But the view from Jaehwan’s penthouse suite is beautiful anyway, and the light is nearly as radiant as the sleeping man stretched out across his king-sized bed, blond hair tousled, pink hickeys dotting his neck and back, completely bare with nothing but the maroon-coloured duvet draped over his hips.

Wonshik can’t resist pressing a light kiss to the dip of Jaehwan’s spine, between his shoulderblades and on the cheek before he slips out of bed and yanks on his underwear. He finds a pair of his jeans in Jaehwan’s dresser and steals a shirt before browsing through the collection of brand name jackets in the walk-in closet.

When he silently pulls his dress shoes back on at the foyer, his rumpled suit in a discreet shopping bag, he pulls out his phone and makes a call.

Hakyeon picks up on the third ring, understandably annoyed at Wonshik, but in his defence, Hakyeon’s always up at sunrise doing his yoga shit anyway. Also, this was something important.

“Hey,” Wonshik grins as he closes Jaehwan’s front door silently behind him. “I have a favour to ask; can you accompany me to Sanghyuk’s yacht lunch event thing today?” Hakyeon replies, snarking him, and he laughs as he strolls down the hall. “Jaehwan? Don’t worry about Jaehwan, man.”

It’s his turn to make his lover jealous now, after all.


	24. Hongbin - Rookie Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: hongbin became too excited to hug his sun and star, his most respected senior and singer, the park hyoshin sunbaenim-- and then accidentally broke his phone?
> 
> 16/05/17

“Is he still dead?” Sanghyuk whispers anxiously, peeping over Wonshik’s shoulder as he and the rapper crowd around the doorway to the bedroom, peeking in on the people inside.

“Possibly,” Jaehwan stage-whispers, his chin propped up on top of Sanghyuk’s head as he watches on.

“Shh,” Wonshik hisses, waving at them to quiet down. Sanghyuk does so, miming zipping his lips, but Jaehwan just puffs air out through his nostrils and makes Sanghyuk make a gross face when he feels his hair ruffle.

Inside the bedroom, curled up into an unmoving lump beneath the blankets, is an absolutely desolate Hongbin.

“Binnie,” Hakyeon soothes for what might be the hundredth time that morning already, “It’s _okay_. It’s not the end of the world.” Beside him, Taekwoon was patting the top of the lump with a half-assed attempt at acting comforting, though that might’ve been because he was trying to eat a very grainy granola bar at the same time.

There is no response from the lump, and Hakyeon heaves a sigh.

“Hongbin. Hyoshin wasn’t even mad at you— besides, it was a legitimate accident.”

The lump shifts momentarily, and then: “I still broke his phone,” Hongbin’s muffled voice bemoans. “I can’t face him ever again.”

“Yes you can,” Hakyeon insists, shaking the sad mound. “You kind of have to; we’re in the same company.”

“Then I’m gonna have to move,” Hongbin wails, and if possible, the blanket seemed to retract around him even more. Sanghyuk exchanged looks with Wonshik, who’s looking mildly concerned now.

“That won’t do!” Jaehwan chirps. “If you run away now, you’d have disgraced Hyoshin, who so graciously forgave you!”

“ _Jaehwan!_ ” Hakyeon hisses, but the damage is done. The lump freezes, going so still that even Taekwoon stops patting and puts his granola bar down, concerned. Then, Hongbin’s head pokes out of the end of the lump, hair ruffled and huge eyes pooling with tears.

“I-I-I don’t want to be a _disgrace_!” he wails, and Hakyeon immediately latches onto him, half-dragging Hongbin out of his blanket pile.

“You’re not a disgrace,” he says, shooting Jaehwan a look. Jaehwan shrugs his shoulders, an apologetic smile on his face. “It’s only a phone, Hongbin. It can be replaced.”

“I should buy him a new phone!” Hongbin sniffles, wiping at his nose with the back of his hand. Taekwoon scrunches his face up and tosses a tissue pack over, and Hakyeon quickly shoves that into Hongbin’s hands. “And a lunch in apology. And maybe a dinner. Possibly a car too—”

“ ‘kay, if you can afford to get Hyoshin a car, maybe you should buy it for VIXX first,” Wonshik points out, and Sanghyuk bursts out laughing. To his surprise, a tiny snort of amusement escapes Hongbin, whose lips are twitching despite his mopey demeanor.

“As if I’d spend money on _you_  lot,” he jokes weakly.

“Ungrateful brat,” Hakyeon huffs, but he gives Hongbin a tight hug anyway, squeezing until the younger is wheezing and struggling to push him off. “Look at everything we’ve done for you, and all you think about is still Hyoshin! Maybe you should make a subunit with him instead.”

Hongbin’s eyes sparkle immediately, clutching at the wad of tissues. “That sounds like a great plan,” he enthuses, and Hakyeon chokes while Jaehwan snorts loudly.

“Hm. He’s fine now,” Taekwoon dismisses softly, standing. “Get up, you three, we’re going to clean up.”

“Incredible,” Wonshik shakes his head, making his fluffy dyed bangs fall over his eyes. He, Sanghyuk and Jaehwan trudge dutifully out the bedroom after Taekwoon while Hakyeon scolds and gives Hongbin several light neck chops, chastising him for being overly-dramatic now.

“Never underestimate a fanboy,” Jaehwan says wisely, and to the general agreement of everybody in the vicinity.


	25. OT6 (Hongbin centric) - The Right Way To Handle Museum Artwork

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hongbin gets a lot of people trying to flirt with him, but he's so oblivious to the 'flirting' part and often think they're just being friendly, so he unknowingly entertains the flirting. Cue annoyance from the other VIXX members. [OT6 Hongbinnie-centric w/ jealous VIXX members being protective/possessive of him]
> 
> 16/05/17

“I don’t care,” Jaehwan is saying when Sanghyuk strolls up to where he and Hakyeon were hovering behind the front desk, pretending to gather their supplies while they kept on glancing back over at a large group of school children clustered under the museum’s giant display of a T-Rex’s skeletal remains. “I’ll still fight them.”

“Don’t you dare,” Hakyeon retorts.

“Fight who?” Sanghyuk asks, bumping his hip against Hakyeon’s, and the elder nearly tips over into an office chair. He straightens with a grunt.

“Jaehwan,” he proclaims, “Wants to fight _schoolchildren_.”

“Really? Isn’t he one of them?”

“Hey, in my defence, those little middle school girls are all making heart eyes at Hongbinnie instead of paying attention to what he’s saying about the dinosaurs!” Jaehwan says hotly, slapping a stack of colouring sheets down on the counter. “What’s the point of coming to a museum and listening to the tour guides if you’re not gonna pay attention to a word he’s saying!”

“Do you want us to get blacklisted from every single school in the district?” Hakyeon asks crossly, and as the two of them begin to bicker, Sanghyuk watches as Hongbin directs the kids to the little cafeteria at the end of the hall, where they could eat their lunch after the conclusion of their guided tour. The male teachers and parent chaperones hoard the mass of screaming eight-year-olds down the hall, but then one of the teachers— a young, pretty woman with long black hair— steps up to Hongbin and smiles winningly at him.

“Uh-oh,” Sanghyuk mutters, elbowing both Hakyeon and Jaehwan to catch their attention. “Forget about school kids; we have a problem.”

Both guides spin around, and their gazes zero in on the teacher now standing precariously close to Hongbin. She’s playing with her hair and fiddling with her phone while Hongbin enthusiastically tells her something about the museum’s attractions, hopelessly blind to the obvious flirtations being directed his way.

“Oh no,” Jaehwan mutters. “This is a Red Alert.”

“Look at that history nerd,” Hakyeon says indignantly, shaking the stapler at the pair. “Can’t he tell that she’s not really that interested in knowing about pre-historic flint spears, or whatever?”

“She also let her kids run wild,” Sanghyuk tuts. “Zero points for carelessness.”

Then Hongbin must’ve said something, because the teacher throws her head back and laughs, a bit too loudly for it to be natural, and places a hand right on Hongbin’s bicep. And before he knows it, Sanghyuk is rushing over with Jaehwan by his side and Hakyeon in lead. They stumble smack into the middle of the conversation and Sanghyuk and Jaehwan quickly stand on either side of Hongbin, effectively sandwiching him in the middle. The woman’s hand flies off as she looks up at them in surprise, and Hakyeon flashes her one of his blinding smiles.

“So sorry,” he apologizes, even though he doesn’t sound sorry at all. “We need Hongbin to help us set up the next tour, so if you’ll excuse us!”

“Bye!” Jaehwan calls over his shoulder, and before Hongbin could say a word, Sanghyuk’s already tossed an arm over his shoulder, pulling him back behind the front desk. The teacher watches them go for a moment before she heaves a sigh and finally leaves, disappearing down the hall to get her students.

“We were in the middle of a conversation,” Hongbin says, bemused. “She was asking about our rock collection.”

“I’m sure it was a riveting one,” Hakyeon deadpans while Sanghyuk snickers, arm still slung over Hongbin’s shoulder as he tucks his boyfriend against his side.

“She was probably super interested in talking about a whole lot of— ah, heated  _tectonic shifting_  and _bedrock_ , am I right?” Jaehwan grumbles, lips set in a pout.

“Eh? Nah, I only told her about the full-room sedimentary rock display we have up—” Hongbin begins, and Hakyeon groans.

“Fun times!” he interrupts, pinching Hongbin’s cheek. “But you’re with us, and now we must send you all the way down to help Taekwoon and Wonshik with the Ancient Greece exhibit.”

“What? For real—?”

“Yup!” Jaehwan grins, daring to lean in to give Hongbin a quick peck. “Now hurry your cute butt up and help them out!”

“Unbelievable,” Hongbin pretends to roll his eyes, but he lets Hakyeon pat his cheek and Sanghyuk give him a quick hug before he’s off, humming to himself as he tucks his hands into the pockets of his shorts, somehow managing to make the museum’s normally hideous green polo and beige pants uniform combo look good. Collectively, they all heave a sigh of relief.

“He’s too sweet for his own good,” Hakyeon sighs.

+

“Oh my god.”

When Wonshik’s disbelieving growl catches his attention, Taekwoon turns, ready to demand why his boyfriend isn’t focused on putting up the last of the mini Parthenon display, but his words die on the tip of his tongue when he follows Wonshik’s line of sight down the hall.

There, just outside of the Greece exhibition, is Hongbin and a young man. Taekwoon recognizes him as one of the PHD students studying at the university just a few blocks away, who’s come to frequent the museum for inspiration in his thesis.

And apparently, chatting up their resident living artwork museum guide was one of his forms of ‘inspiration’.

As he watches, the man moves to stand closer to Hongbin, talking animatedly, and Hongbin is answering his questions with one of his dimpled smiles. When they both notice the man moving his hand up onto Hongbin’s shoulder, Wonshik makes a very low noise and Taekwoon strolls forwards without thinking, focused single-mindedly on moving Hongbin away from the guy immediately.

“Ah,” Hongbin says when he notices Taekwoon (and Wonshik) practically speeding over his way. “I’m sorry, but I have to go back to work,” he apologizes to the man upon Taekwoon and Wonshik’s arrival. He looks momentarily annoyed, but schools his expression back into a calm one. Which, incidentally, is an emotion Taekwoon certainly isn’t feeling right now.

“That’s a shame,” he says. “Hey, d’you mind if I get your number? Maybe we can catch up later on, over a coffee or something.”

“Sorry, but he’s busy,” Wonshik interrupts, coming up behind Hongbin. He glowers at the student, who swallows and flicks his gaze between the two of them; two immovable walls now surrounding a very confused Hongbin. To drive the point home, Taekwoon immediately places an arm around Hongbin’s waist, giving the guy a pointed look.

“… Right,” the man mutters. “Anyway, I should probably get going.”

“Oh,” Hongbin blinks. “Well, see you!”

Wonshik huffs and quickly steers all three of them back towards the Greece exhibit, expression grumpy.

“Gosh, you guys are pushy today,” Hongbin jokes, touching Taekwoon’s wrist soothingly. “What’s gotten into you all?”

“Oh, nothing,” Wonshik says airly, quickly taking Hongbin’s hand. He and Taekwoon share a look, and Taekwoon’s quick to cling onto Hongbin as they shuffle over to the half-finished display.

“Don’t worry about it,” Taekwoon adds nonchalantly, pressing a quick kiss below Hongbin’s ear. “Let’s get back to work.”


	26. N/Leo - Miss You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: prompt: since vixx are gods of jealousy right now, a neo prompt where taekwoon gets jealous when hakyeon hangs out with the other members more than him. a lot of fluffiness please!!!!
> 
> 16/05/17

He hadn’t suspected anything when Taekwoon tugged at his sleeve during one of the breaks during practice, mumbling quietly that he wanted to talk to Hakyeon about something. So they’d left the others behind in Wonshik’s garage to bang on Sanghyuk’s drums and fiddle with Jaehwan’s new bass guitar, chatting loudly and generally making a lot of noise. It’s not until they enter the house, screen door slamming loudly after them that Taekwoon suddenly seizes Hakyeon’s wrist, pulling him down the hall, up the stairs and into Wonshik’s spare room.

The door slams shut behind them and the next second Hakyeon is pinned against it, with Taekwoon’s hands on either side of his head as his boyfriend suddenly leans in, kissing him soundly.

Hakyeon’s own hands shoot up to clutch at the front of his boyfriend’s shirt, mouth opening in a gasp as Taekwoon kisses him. It’s a tiny bit rough at first because of how eager Taekwoon’s being, but then he backs down, letting the liplock ease into something softer until the two of them are giving each other tiny kisses, pulling apart only to immediately move forwards towards one another again.

“What— brought— this— on?” Hakyeon gasps, between kisses, and Taekwoon pauses for a fraction of a second. Something flashes in his eyes, but he says nothing and leans forwards again. His hands move to hold Hakyeon’s face, tilting his chin up so they could kiss deeply. He’s standing so close Hakyeon could feel the buckle of Taekwoon’s belt pressing into the waistband of his jeans. He groans, grasping at Taekwoon’s wrists.

“Wait. Taek— what’s the matter?” he asks breathlessly, and Taekwoon finally relents his kisses. Hakyeon’s mouth is buzzing from the sudden onslaught of intense sensations, and while he certainly isn’t complaining about Taekwoon suddenly taking charge, it seems far too out of the blue. And Taekwoon’s got a funny expression on his face; he looks embarrassed, grumpy, regretful and awkward all at once. Hakyeon squeezes his boyfriend’s hands gently, grabbing his attention again.

“Did something happen?” he asks, soft, and Taekwoon finally nods once, terse. “Okay. What was it? Did I do something?” he adds, as an afterthought. When Taekwoon’s gaze flicks off to the side, Hakyeon knows it’s him. But the problems is, he can’t recall what he’s done that could’ve… upset? Annoyed? Or worse, hurt Taekwoon?

“Taekwoon,” he nudges his boyfriend’s leg with his own foot. “What did I do? Are you upset with me?”

“No,” Taekwoon blurts out, but then he pauses. He bites his lip, thinking. “Not exactly,” he finally says, and Hakyeon just blinks.

“That doesn’t really tell me anything.”

“I know,” Taekwoon groans, hanging his head. “I just— damn it, it’s just embarrassing.”

“Even more embarrassing than that time you laughed so hard in class you spat banana milk out all over the prof?” Hakyeon asks, and Taekwoon snorts, going red.

“ _No_ , damn it,” he chokes out. “And I thought I told you to drop that!”

Hakyeon grins. “Nah,” he says. “I might if you tell me what’s wrong right now, though.”

“Ugh,” Taekwoon sighs, rolling his shoulders uncomfortably. “I’m just… I’m just feeling a little… left out.”

Hakyeon stares, momentarily uncomprehending. “Left out? From what?”

Taekwoon lifts a shoulder, already looking grumpy with himself. “Just. In general. You’ve been going out with the others so much, getting lunch and dinner and whatnot. And you guys all go on and practice without me, and I just— I just wanted to spend more time with you,” he admits in a rush, and Hakyeon has to quickly retrieve his jaw.

“Taekwoon,” he says seriously. “Are you jealous of how often I’m hanging out with the others?”

“No!” Taekwoon says quickly, but deflates when Hakyeon gives him a look. “… maybe a little.”

“Aw, love,” Hakyeon laughs softly, touching Taekwoon’s cheek with his fingers. “Why would you worry over that? You know I’m thinking of you day and night.”

“I know,” Taekwoon huffs. “I can’t help it, alright?”

“What, you don’t think I get a little jealous every now and then when I see you goofing off with Eunkwang and Minhyukkie after soccer practice?” Hakyeon says, ruffling his boyfriend’s hair. “But I know you guys have the championships coming up, and you have to practice hard for it. Even if you have to put our band on hold for a little bit, the guys and I just wanted to practice hard so you’ll be able to see us improve by the time you come back from finals.”

Taekwoon ducks his head. “We’ve barely passed prelims,” he says. “Don’t count on us getting to the finals yet.”

“Bullshit,” Hakyeon tuts, shifting forwards to envelop Taekwoon in a tight hug. He feels his boyfriend’s arm wrap around his shoulders, hugging him close. “Besides, I’m lending your team my talented, cute boyfriend with a voice of an angel. The better get their asses to finals.”

“I’ll be sure to let them know,” Taekwoon chuckles by his ear. “Thank you. For understanding.”

“Mm,” Hakyeon sighs, snuggling close. “What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I couldn’t manage something as simple as that, Taekwoonie?”


	27. Ravi/Ken - Bright Gold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: blonde ken comes to the dorm after changing the color and ravi just gets crazy 'cause he looks so damn good
> 
> 16/05/17

“If I’d known you were this crazy about the colour blond, I would’ve asked to dye my hair a lighter colour before this comeback,” Jaehwan jokes, an amused smile on his face as he watches Wonshik from where his head is pillowed on the rapper’s firm thighs. Wonshik makes an indistinct noise, maybe something in agreement or just to acknowledge that he’s mostly heard Jaehwan speak.

All the while, his fingers never stop coming through the thin strands of Jaehwan’s freshly dyed blond hair, sunshine gold and brilliant to look at. 

“Did it hurt?” Wonshik asks, brushing the bit of hair falling into Jaehwan’s eye off to the side. He shrugs.

“In the beginning, yeah. My scalp was burning but it was bearable.”

Wonshik makes a noise in the back of his throat. He tucks an errant curl behind Jaehwan’s ear, fingertips brushing against the shell with a feather-light touch. Jaehwan twitches, and grins lazily up.

“It was worth it though; I don’t think I’ve seen you this starstruck since I did that waist-holding pose in the On and On MV.”

Wonshik makes a slightly garbled noise at that as well, and he cards his fingers delicately through the bit of hair on the side of Jaehwan’s head. “I know how much it stings,” he murmurs. “I was worried about you.”

“Hey, it’s not like I’m gonna melt,” Jaehwan laughs, patting Wonshik on the chest. “Anyway, you never actually said it out loud. Do you like the colour?”

“Just like?” Wonshik asks, his voice rough as his gaze meets Jaehwan’s. “I _love_  it.”

Jaehwan’s elfish smile widens. “Good,” he answers, already foreseeing good things with this change of hairstyle.

+

If Wonshik were soft on him or easily persuaded by Jaehwan’s little tactics before, it’s nothing compared to what he’d do now. All it takes is a little glance in his direction and Wonshik’s already getting out of his seat, sometimes to retrieve him a bottle of water or to get him a towel. He sits closer and cuddles up to Jaehwan’s side even more, always finding an excuse to touch his hair or stroke his bangs. He’s ridiculously gentle, apparently anxious about Jaehwan’s scalp.

“Wonshik, it’s been like, a week,” Jaehwan huffs, grabbing his hand. “If you’re gonna give me a head massage, do it properly.”

“But what if I hurt you?” Wonshik whines, but he takes note and increases the gentle pressure a little more. Jaehwan sighs and sinks into the touch, practically melting.

“I’m not actually made of marshmallows and fluff, sorry to break it to you. My thighs are actually shaping up quite well, since I’ve been doing so many squats at the gym recently.”

“Yeah, I can tell that too,” Wonshik mumbles, going a bit red, and Jaehwan laughs.

“Oh? So you to notice things other than my hair.”

“I notice a lot of things,” Wonshik complains loudly, dropping his hands. Jaehwan snickers and turns around on the sofa to face his boyfriend.

“The others had a bet that you’re still gonna be obsessed with my blond hair for like, another month or so. Personally, I wouldn’t mind, but maybe you could take note of other things about me, hm?”

“Like what?” Wonshik asks, unconciously moving back to sit against the armrest of the sofa as Jaehwan moves forwards on his knees, grinning.

“You tell me,” he breathes, taking Wonshik’s hand, and his boyfriend’s eyes trail over him, gaze intent. It makes heat rise up his neck, but Jaehwan stays still, waiting. A moment later, Wonshik simply places his hand on his waist and squeezes experimentally.

“You should stop shaking your ass on variety shows,” he says quietly.

“My bad,” Jaehwan smiles. “I’ll save the good stuff for you after our schedules.”

Wonshik snorts softly, but he moves his hand under Jaehwan’s shirt, stroking over the skin on his abdomen. Jaehwan sighs and moves closer until they’re pressed up against one another. He looms over Wonshik, who’s sitting on the cushions, but Wonshik manages to stretch his hand up all the same, tangling his fingers into Jaehwan’s hair.

“You look too good on camera,” Wonshik murmurs. “But you’re also so shameless; is this new look getting to you?” 

“I think it’s getting to _you_  more than anybody else,” Jaehwan chuckles lowly, leaning down. He bites onto Wonshik’s lower lip, teasing, and Wonshik’s eyes flutter shut. He groans and tugs at Jaehwan’s hair, making him tilt his heat to one side as they slot their lips properly together for a kiss.

“It’s true,” Wonshik moans between their kisses. “That hair— it’s driving me crazy.”


	28. Ken/Hongbin - I've Been Caught (Hook, Line, and Sinker)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: jaehwan catfishes rich boy hongbin for cash but ends up actually falling for him
> 
> 16/05/17

_Kong93: so they just rejected ur portfolio off that bat?? damn that’s harsh :(_

_LeeKenKen: yeah ikr. so unprofessional of them too, tbh_

_Kong93: well, i guess they’ll just have to live with the fact they’re missing out on some gr8 talent_

_LeeKenKen: aw binnie_

_Kong93: XD_

A firm knock on his door startles him, and Jaehwan spins around in his seat. But it’s only Hakyeon, standing in the doorway of his room, freshly out of the shower and in his nightclothes. He gives Jaehwan a pointed look as he’s towelling his hair dry.

“You have a nine o’clock class tomorrow,” Hakyeon says. “I swear to god if you sleep through your alarm one more time—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jaehwan huffs, waving his roommate off. “I’ll go sleep in a little bit.”

He expects Hakyeon to leave after that, but the elder just strolls into his room and peers over his shoulder at Jaehwan’s laptop. When he sees the chat box on the screen, the tuts loudly and raps Jaehwan on the top of his head.

“What, so you’d stay awake chatting with your fake online boyfriend instead of getting the sleep you actually need? Glad to see you’re looking out for yourself.”

“Ah, shut up,” Jaehwan grumbles, pretending to elbow Hakyeon back. “He lives in a different time zone, is all.”

Hakyeon hums as he straightens, a contemplative look on his face. “Didn’t you say you were gonna break things off weeks ago? Why is this still going on?”

“None of your business,” Jaehwan sniffs, but Hakyeon seizes the back of his office chair and whirls Jaehwan around. He looks stern.

“Okay, I let you do what you wanted before because you were just goofing around, but I told you that if you kept on leading that guy on for money—”

“It’s not even a lot of money!” Jaehwan protests, crossing his arms. “He only sent me a few gifts from before—”

“ _Expensive_  gifts,” Hakyeon interrupts, sharp.

“—but I’ll have you know,” Jaehwan continues loudly, like Hakyeon hadn’t said anything. “I’ve stopped accepting stuff from him.”

His roommate arches an eyebrow, surprised. “Oh? Does this mean you’re finally gonna break up with him?”

“Still none of your business,” Jaehwan sticks his tongue out, and Hakyeon rolls his eyes.

“You are going to get yourself in way over your head,” he warns, turning to stroll out of Jaehwan’s room. “And when you get into trouble, I’m going to give you a very well-deserved _I told you so_.”

“Well, don’t hold your breath!” Jaehwan calls after his friend as Hakyeon plods out. “It won’t be like that!”

“Poor boy doesn’t deserve a scammer like you!” is the only thing he gets in reply, and Jaehwan sticks his lower lip out, grumbling. He stretches his leg out and kicks his bedroom door shut, and when he gets back the chat is blinking with new messages.

_Kong93: what’re u gonna do about applications now?_

_LeeKenKen: well, I still have to apply. I know there’s two schools that are still accepting so I’ll try my luck there_

_Kong93: ah. good luck then._

_LeeKenKen: thanx_

_Kong93: but… what abt application fees?_

Jaehwan sucks in a breath and slumps back in his chair. He stares at the chat for a few moments, chewing on his lower lip. He’d deliberately left that part out, but he should’ve known Hongbin was smart enough to figure things out. That was, after all, his first thing he asked Hongbin to help him out for, so of course his pseudo-online boyfriend would know.

_LeeKenKen: I’ll deal with it_

_Kong93: …_

_Kong93: Ken_

_Kong93: u kno u can ask me for help, right?_

_LeeKenKen: i know, but I’m serious. I can deal with it._

_Kong93: and I can help you deal with it. u said it yourself before, application fees aren’t cheap_

_LeeKenKen: yeah, but don’t worry about it_

_Kong93: u asked me to help you out before, and I don’t mind doing it again you know. tell me_

_Kong93: please_

_LeeKenKen: …binnie, don’t. it’s okay_

_Kong93: don’t “binnie” me, babe. tell me._

Jaehwan can feel his heart beating loudly in his chest as the conversation pops up little by little. By all means, he should’ve jumped at the chance to take the money; he knows exactly how loaded Hongbin is— something like portfolio application fees is barely spare change for him. But his fingers are frozen on the keyboard, his conscience is gnawing at him from the inside, and Hakyeon’s voice is bouncing around inside his head— poor boy doesn’t deserve a scammer like you.

_LeeKenKen: this isn’t your portfolio,,, you shouldn’t have to pay for anything of mine. end of sentence._

_Kong93: OK, but consider this, i care about u and i think its really unfair how u were treated at ur last interview and i want you to get into the best school bc i kno how much u love drawing, and i want to help u. end of sentence :-)_

_LeeKenKen: I_

_LeeKenKen: Hongbinnie_

_LeeKenKen: …k, let me think about this_

_Kong93: :c alright then_

_LeeKenKen: mhm. ah, its late, my roommate is yelling at me. i gtg_

_Kong93: oh yeah… it’s what, 1am over there?_

_LeeKenKen: yup lol_

_Kong93: oh my god go the fuck the sleep Ken I’ll talk to you later_

_LeeKenKen: ^^ ok_

_Kong93: k. love you_

_LeeKenKen: me too_

When his laptop is finally powered down, he shoves his things into his backpack and turns off his desk lamp. In the darkness of his bedroom, Jaehwan flops face first onto his bed and curls around his pillows, chest heavy.

Love you, Hongbin had said.

Me too had been his reply, and it’s been getting harder and harder to say that lately. He threw hearts and little ‘ilu’s around like confetti at the beginning of their online interactions, but the words are weighing down on him each time his fingers move over the keyboard. And he knows it’s not a lack of interest in Hongbin; rather, he knows for a fact that it’s getting so difficult to say _love you_  back because he’s really, truly starting to mean it.

Jaehwan groans and turns over, staring up at the ceiling. “Oh, god, I’m so fucked,” he says out loud, and covers his face.


	29. OT6 - Little Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hi, can I ask for a cute OT6 being celebrities in diff areas (actor, model... etc) and them trying keep their unorthodox relationship a secret? (and maybe it gets found because of something really ridiculous/funny?)
> 
> 16/05/17

There are some days where Taekwoon’s certain he’s born under a particularly lucky star, because Jung Eunji is his manager and when situations like this crop up, she’s generally the most effective buffer between him and the annoying press.

“ _Excuse_  me,” Eunji barks, expertly fending off a particularly boisterous paparazzi getting way too close with them with the handle-end of her long umbrella. “Coming through. Personal space, anybody?”

Taekwoon does his best to fold himself up behind the shorter woman, hurrying after her into the back of his van. They pull away from the curb of shouting reporters, and Eunji grumbles.

“What a world we live in. Even musical actors are getting chased down in the streets, damn it.”

Taekwoon sighs, dragging his seatbelt over himself. He thought he’d heard someone shouting for a confirmation on his relationship status, and while it’s not an uncommon question from the press, the way it was phrased this time had immediately caught his attention.

Eunji passes him one of the lunch boxes, and as he takes it, Taekwoon digs his phone out of his pocket and pulls up the messenger app, the thought of a certain boyfriend on his mind.

+

“Wait,” Jaehwan says to his assistant just as they’re arriving to the board meeting room. “Hang on a moment, I got a text.”

“Really, Boss?” his assistant complains. “We’re already cutting it close.”

“Just a mo’,” Jaehwan chuckles, patting his poor exasperated assistant on the back, ignoring the man’s groans about how the CEO can’t always show up ten minutes late. He ducks into the smaller room across the hall, sliding his new phone out of his back pocket. It’s a message from Taekwoon, who’s cryptic and out of context as always.

_did u say something weird to the media again im hearing strange things abt us_

_no_ , he answers, and quickly poses for a selfie while he’s at it before attaching it to his reply. _for once it’s actually not me. what’s up?_

_well. just be cautious going out with anybody. I don’t want anything happening to you._

_aww_ , Jaehwan chuckles to himself as he finishes off his message. _thnx for the love hunny bun_

_go back to work_ , is all he gets in reply, and Jaehwan snickers, imagining Taekwoon blushing. At the same time, his interest is piqued— and there’s only one person who’s savvier through the web than he is.

+

“Hey,” Sanghyuk calls, swivelling around in his plush office chair to face where Hongbin was lying on his bed, reading his scripts. He stretches his long model’s legs out, thin ankles crossed over the other. “Jaehwan reckons somebody’s been nosing around in our relationships.”

“Again?” Hongbin yawns, eyes still trained on his lines. “That’s nothing new. Last week they reported I was going to get married.”

“Oh yeah,” Sanghyuk laughs, opening his laptop. His fingers clatter across the keyboard as he opens up a browser in search of whatever Jaehwan wants him to look up now. Hongbin sets his script aside and rolls off the bed, striding over so he could drape himself over Sanghyuk’s back, watching results pop up.

“Huh,” Sanghyuk hums, absent-mindedly tangling the fingers of his free hand with Hongbin’s. “Someone thinks Taekwoon is… dating Wonshik?”

“And somebody else says Wonshik’s dating Hakyeon,” Sanghyuk says. “But here— there’s news about Hakyeon showing up to Jaehwan’s business function the other day too.”

“Is this because Wonshik’s been hanging around Hakyeon whenever he’s practicing lately?” Hongbin snorts. “I told him to act more discreetly during his hiatus.”

“Who knows,” Sanghyuk grins, fumbling for his phone. “But we should definitely call them up.”

+

The buzzing from Hakyeon’s duffle bag snaps him out of his scribbles, and Wonshik feels his neck crick when he sets his composition notebook aside in favour of searching through his boyfriend’s belongings. His phone is indeed ringing, and it’s the picture of Sanghyuk’s recent photoshoot flashing across the screen, eyes lidded and lips pursed as he poses for the camera. Accepting the call, Wonshik puts the phone up to his ear and says, “Hey. Hakyeon’s busy.”

“What else is new,” Sanghyuk jokes. “Anyway, Hongbinnie and I wanted to call to let you know that we’ve got paps on our tails again, but apparently, they’re getting a little too close for comfort.”

“Oh,” Wonshik says, settling back on the bleachers. The range is mostly empty at this hour; only Hakyeon is standing on the line, his recurve bow in hand and brilliantly red-fletched arrows in hand as he observes the impressive grouping on his target on the other end of the range. He momentarily contemplates getting Hakyeon to listen in on this, but the Summer Games were approaching, and he didn’t want to disrupt Hakyeon’s pre-competition groove. “Well. Maybe we shouldn’t meet up for a while…?”

“Actually,” Hongbin’s voice sounds over the phone just as Hakyeon lets his last arrow fly. He lowers his bow and steps off the line, looking up to where Wonshik is sitting. He raises his eyebrows when he sees Wonshik on his phone and sets his equipment down before climbing the steps up.

“Who’s that?” Hakyeon asks, and Wonshik shows him. “Ooh, Hyukkie?”

“And Hongbin, who was just making a suggestion,” Wonshik says as Hakyeon puts the call on speakerphone. “The paparazzi are apparently on us again.”

“This was technically Jaehwan’s idea,” Hongbin says, voice tinny over the phone. “He messaged the group chat just now; but he thinks we should mess with the paps a little and post a picture of all of us together with no warning, and let them figure it out.”

“He seriously thinks that’s gonna help?” Hakyeon chortles. “I’m concerned for the future of this boy’s business.”

“But he does pick up some good tactics from his PR agents,” Sanghyuk pipes up.

“I have the feeling Taekwoon is doing his hardest to veto this idea in another convo,” Wonshik shakes his head.

“Yeah, but Taekwoon’s whipped when it comes to Jaehwan. You know he’ll give in in ten minutes.”

“I say five,” Sanghyuk jokes.

“You kids are savage,” Hakyeon says, but he’s smiling. He drops into the seat beside Wonshik and curls up by his side; Wonshik lifts his arm and drapes it around Hakyeon’s shoulders, holding him close. “Well, it can’t be the worst thing that’s been tweeted before, not when we have Jaehwan’s twitter out in the open.”

“The Great Underwear Pic of 2013,” Sanghyuk acknowledges solemnly. “Never forget.”

“And it has been a while since we’ve all gotten together,” Hongbin adds. “We can do a dinner and crash Taekwoon’s brand new bungalow. We have yet to christen the whole place.”

Wonshik chokes on his breath as Hakyeon colours, but Sanghyuk is laughing on the other end.

“Perfect,” their youngest boyfriend says, bright and mischievous. “Sounds like a great plan to me.”


	30. OT6 - Only The Winds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Prompt~ OT6 go to a roadtrip to the ocean to enjoy some well deserved time on the beach. Summery feelgoodness with nice music in the background~ Hyuk with his camera recording everything and HB taking pictures of everthing he sees~
> 
> 16/05/21

The drive back up to the cottage was a quiet one— soundless yet full of soft, unobtrusive background noise as well. There’s the hum of the van’s engine and the small _pops_  of bits of gravel and sand crunching beneath the wheels, the brisk sound of wind sliding in through the open windows, and the slow, even snores coming from where Wonshik’s head is pillowed on Sanghyuk’s shoulder.

His feet are propped up on the console, two thin strips of white flip-flop tan lines spanning over the tops of his feet. It feels dusty when he rubs his toes together, and Hakyeon would make them all hose their feet down before stepping foot into the cottage once they get home tonight.

They’d spent the majority of the day at the beach already, splashing through the water by the shore and stumbling through the uneven mounds of sand on the beach, but the salt had now dried on their skin and the day is sinking beneath the horizon. Sanghyuk feels like he needs to wash everything off and start fresh for the night, which brings about its own games and secrets, filling in the dark spots left open by the star-spotted sky.

Jaehwan’s skinny fingers are drumming out an invisible beat on the steering wheel, head bopping along to whatever tune is going on inside his head at the moment. The high of his cheekbones, the gentle slopes of his shoulders and the long lines of his forearms are already turning pink with a faint sunburn that even Taekwoon’s strongest sunblock couldn’t protect him from completely (but they have an aloe gel Hongbin was smart enough to pick up from a rest stop along the way, and the bottle is already half-done by now, thanks to Jaehwan).

Because Hakyeon and Jaehwan the only two who can really drive (Hongbin was automatically scrapped off their list because of his abysmal parking skills), Hakyeon automatically gets shotgun and the only chair that can properly recline. He’s currently chewing on the straw of his long-melted smoothie, fanning himself absent-mindedly with an old map dug out of the van’s glove compartment. The softened corners of the paper flutter by his cheeks as the breeze coming in through the window circulates throughout the car. It reminds Sanghyuk of butterfly’s wings, delicate yet full of motion. Hakyeon tilts his head back as he stifles a yawn, exposing the length of his neck, and he catches Sanghyuk’s eye in the side mirror.

He gets a lazy smile and the flashing glint of overlarge sunglasses before Hakyeon turns and fumbles of Jaehwan’s iced drink, wedged between Wonshik’s rucksack, Hakyeon’s bag, and the box of tissues between the two front seats.

“Jaehwanie,” Hakyeon murmurs, holding out Jaehwan’s drink to him, and Jaehwan leans over, trying to bite down on the straw while still keeping his eyes on the road.

There’s the sound of something snapping behind him, and Sanghyuk turns to see Hongbin lower his polaroid camera in time, quickly taking the tiny photograph as it slides out of the camera with a whir and tucking it into the folds of his striped tank top. He catches Sanghyuk’s raised eyebrow and mouths, _I’ll show you later_  before unfurling the strap from his wrist. It’s too hot to put anything around their necks.

Taekwoon, impatient as always, nudges Hongbin’s hands aside and takes the photograph out, ignoring Hongbin’s grumble at his actions. He hums and then holds it out to Sanghyuk, showing him a shot of Hakyeon extending the drink to Jaehwan at the front of the car. The sunlight bursting in through the windshield illuminates the two figures completely, leaving behind glowing skin and revealing just a bit of the empty stretch of the road ahead, barren save for the swirls of heat rising from the asphalt and the wilted grass and weeds by the side of the road.

Sanghyuk wants to reach out for the photo, but the moment he does, he jostles Wonshik by accident, who jolts back awake with a confused noise. Sanghyuk snorts and throws an arm around a discombobulated Wonshik, tugging him back.

“Sorry,” he says softly, and grins when Wonshik almost conks right back out, tucking his head under Sanghyuk’s chin despite the heat, and goes right back to his snoring.

“Unbelievable,” Hongbin says, reclining back against Takewoon’s chest with a smirk, and resolutely refuses to move even when Taekwoon starts to whine about it being too hot.

+

They make it back to the cabin just as the sun is setting, leaving behind a glowing mix of orange, red, and pink across the skies. Hakyeon is the first one out of the car, off to turn the hose on for them, and they grab their sand-covered bags, chairs and cooler from the trunk of the van before dutifully shuffling over to wash down. The spray of cold water against hot, sweaty skin is a beautiful feeling, even as Wonshik and Jaehwan yelp at the temperature and clutch at once another. Sanghyuk feels Hongbin place his hands on his waist, small but strong, and hold him steady when he lifts each of his feet for a spray on his soles

Taekwoon is last, because he insists on waiting for Hakyeon outside too, and when they walk back inside with their backpacks on his shoulders and exhausted, happy smiles on their faces, their fingers are interlocked.

The screen door clatters shut behind the six of them as the tuck themselves back into the cabin, moving from day into night, from the brilliance of the sun into the calmness of night, and from the bustle of life into the comforts of each other’s arms.


	31. OT6 - 200% (In Love With You)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Love your blog it's my life!!! Your Vixx summer aesthetics was supper cute. Could I request an ot6 about how they see each other/ the characteristics they love in each other ( maybe like the summer aesthetics)
> 
> 16/05/21

Hakyeon is usually the second one out of bed, even when he doesn’t have something to do, and especially on the weekends, because everyone else is usually sleeping in. And he’s usually awake by the time Wonshik returns home from his morning jog, sweat making his shirt cling to him as he stumbles into the kitchen.

“Hey,” Hakyeon smiles, passing him a glass of water that’s already sitting out on the table, waiting for him. Wonshik takes it gratefully and gulps down the cool liquid, letting it soothe his parched throat. Hakyeon waits until he’s done before whisking the glass away. He’s sorting out some food on the counter, probably for whoever will wake up after him and has a rumbly tummy wanting food.

Wonshik leans against the counter, letting his sore muscles go lax as he admires Hakyeon’s attentiveness and the sheer amount of care he shows towards all of them. There’s love in the way he puts the chilled noodles back into the fridge for Jaehwan and Hongbin, but puts bread and tupperware of rice aside on the counter for Sanghyuk and Taekwoon. Little sticky notes are pasted carefully on each of them, handwritten messages telling each of them the various messages Hakyeon wants to say.

But since Wonshik is up, Hakyeon will walk over and give his message in person. He places his hands on Wonshik’s biceps; in return, Wonshik catches Hakyeon’s elbows and draws him close, letting his eyes slide shut as Hakyeon kisses him.

“Good morning,” Hakyeon says softly, and Wonshik’s heart flutters.

+

He’s finished breakfast and is in the midst of washing up the plates when Taekwoon walks in, third of the group to wake. But awake  _awake_ he’s not, if the bit of residual sleep clinging to the corners of his drooping eyelids and the languid motions of his arms are anything to go bye. Hakyeon grins as Taekwoon squints at the food left out on the counter, nose twitching like a curious cat.

“Don’t eat it all,” Hakyeon warns playfully, stepping over to wrap his arms around Taekwoon’s middle.

“Mm,” Taekwoon yawns, covering his mouth. There’s a kind of softness about him that will recede as the morning passes by, but it’s an underlying trait that Hakyeon notices when Taekwoon thinks nobody is watching— the way he’ll sometimes take the others’ hands, or it’s in the way he’ll speak to them with a hand on their shoulder, or how he’ll sigh with exasperation but still let them crawl into his bed at night and curl up beside him.

Taekwoon almost doesn’t react when Hakyeon kisses him on the cheek, fond, but a second later he turns his head, blinking sleepily.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Yup,” Hakyeon chuckles, loosening his arms. “Got a few errands to run today. I’ll see you at dinner?”

“Mhm,” Taekwoon says, pushing his messy bangs aside. “Go safely.”

Warmth spreads in Hakyeon’s chest at the words. _Soft_ , his brain supplies. “Thanks,” he answers, and cheerfully exits the kitchen.

+

The house bursts with life once the brunch hour has passed. Everybody rushes through the kitchen, devours the food, and fights each other for the bathroom before everything is still again because they’ve gone out.

Jaehwan insists on accompanying Taekwoon as he goes to the bus stop, even though he’s not headed in that direction. Being next to Jaehwan is like watching a sped-up version of life unfolding itself— one moments he’s chatting and leaping through the air, the next he’s meandering along, hands clasped behind his back, a serene smile on his face as he watches the clouds race across the blue sky. Sometimes, he’ll wrangle Taekwoon’s hand out of his pocket and link their fingers together, swinging their joined hands back and forth while he selects a song from his phone and blast it out loud. Jaehwan’s voice is clear and gorgeous as a summer sky, lively and uplifting.

Taekwoon will sing along, because there’s nothing better than an impromptu-duet with Jaehwan, but other times, he’s content to simply watch the other close his eyes and croon out his notes, red lips moulding each syllable out with precision and happiness. And Taekwoon will watch on, mesmerized, until it’s time to part ways.

“Catch ya later,” Jaehwan tells him. Taekwoon hums and pinches the other’s neck affectionately, grinning when he watches Jaehwan squirm and pout.

“Don’t go crazy shopping at the mall this afternoon.”

“Aw, as if,” Jaehwan whines, dancing out of Taekwoon’s reach. He’s twirling down the sidewalk, arms and legs flying everywhere, laughter chasing him. And Taekwoon watches him go, until the bus finally arrives.

+

It takes him approximately an hour before he grows bored at the mall and whips out his phone to call any one of his roommates, to see who wants to come hang out. Predictably, he gets a few teasing replies calling him needy, but then Sanghyuk finally takes pity on Jaehwan’s pouty selfies (or maybe he just wants him to stop clogging up their group chat with pictures) and tells him he’ll drop by in a few minutes.

And that’s how he watches Sanghyuk roll down the sidewalk on his skateboard, sunglasses perched on his nose and ratty old lanyard flapping out of his pocket as he comes to a halt in front of Jaehwan outside the building.

“Here I am, you big baby,” Sanghyuk jokes, and has to duck when Jaehwan squawks at him and slings an arm around his neck, dragging the younger down to his height as he tugs Sanghyuk inside. The sudden blast of AC makes Sanghyuk shiver and curl involuntarily closer to Jaehwan, but the moment he’s gotten used to the temperature he slides easily out of Jaehwan’s hold and reverses their position instead. A long arm, solid with muscle, wraps around Jaehwan’s shoulder and pulls him right up to Sanghyuk’s side. There’s a kind of comfort that could be drawn from the way Sanghyuk also curls his fingers around the top of Jaehwan’s arm, a gentle hold that keeps him close.

“C’mon,” Jaehwan says, hiding a little smile as he looks towards the food court. “Since you’re here, let’s get ice cream; my treat.”

+

The evenings are the only times Hongbin will ever venture outside; he hates the heat more than any of them, and seems to have developed a sort of terrifying immunity against mosquitos. Still, it’s getting late and Hakyeon wanted Hongbin to come home for dinner, so Sanghyuk’s the one that gets pushed out the door to retrieve their resident photographer from the park. So he rolls down the street and immediately spies Hongbin’s bulky form jammed into a little kid’s swing. His camera is pointed up at the sky, and there’s faint clicks as each picture is taken.

“Yo,” Sanghyuk says, plopping his chin on top of Hongbin’s head once he’s close enough. “It’s time for dinner. Why didn’t you text back?”

“I was gonna,” Hongbin breathes, lowering his gaze to check his picture. “But…” he angles the camera up so Sanghyuk could see as well; he slides forwards and drapes his arms over Hongbin’s shoulder, their cheeks pressed together as they go through each of Hongbin’s shots.

Hongbin speaks animatedly about each of them. He frowns when he sees a shot that didn’t come out well, but there are others that make his expression brighten up. Sanghyuk observes silently as his attention shifts from the photos to Hongbin’s face. Hongbin has a very expressive face, and it’s something he likes watching, just to see all the feelings on the other’s face play out.

“Can we look at these inside?” Sanghyuk interrupts, and grins when Hongbin shoots him a stink eye. He bumps their foreheads together before straightening, yanking at the hem of Hongbin’s cardigan. “Let’s go— dinner’s ready.”

+

He runs into Wonshik as the other is exiting the bathroom, smelling of scented body wash. Hongbin can’t help but laugh and tug at the wet ends of Wonshik’s messy hair, watching the other pout as his head falls back.

“Ow, Binnie, why’d you do that?”

“You’re easy to tease,” Hongbin replies seriously, and Wonshik gives him a wounded look. It’s the truth; Wonshik might look intimidating and scary to others, but when he’s alone with them, he’s the biggest pushover in history. In particular, Sanghyuk likes to pick Wonshik up and throw him onto the squashy furniture, just to make him scream, and Jaehwan has taken up a hobby of pretending there’s spiders in the room just to see Wonshik dash out.

But by far the best is play wrestling with the others. Wonshik always ends up at the bottom of the dog pile, out of breath and squished, but he’s always laughing and shouting back at them, complaining that they’re heavy in one breath and then crawling over onto the nearest person’s lap in the next. It’s like cuddling with a very large, very huggable teddy bear sometimes.

“So mean,” Wonshik sighs, shaking his towel out. Hongbin snorts and snatches it away, and before Wonshik could protest he steers the other out into the living room, where Jaehwan and Sanghyuk are gaming and Taekwoon is fuming as the younger boyfriends beat him. Meanwhile, Hakyeon lounges on the couch, a place of juicy watermelon slices in hand as he watches on with amusement.

“Sit,” he instructs, plopping Wonshik down next to Hakyeon. Hongbin drops the towel on top of Wonshiks head and begins to work through the strands of wet hair, smiling to himself when Wonshik stills obediently, head titled and eyes wide as he watches Taekwoon elbow Jaehwan to make him lose.

Hongbin loves that innocence about Wonshik— driven and focused and passionate as he may be, he is also a very gentle soul that makes falling in love with him as easy as breathing.


	32. Leo/Hyuk - Muse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: *crashes in* hiiii :Dc could I have an AU where tsundere taekwoon is secretly practicing the guitar so he can join his boyfriend sanghyuk's band? (hyuk accidentally walks in during a practice session)
> 
> 16/05/22

When Sanghyuk crashes through the trapdoor leading up to his attic bedroom, a cardboard tray holding two iced coffees in one hand a stack of fifty cent comic books in the other, Taekwoon remembers the exact reason why he’d initially insisted on practicing the guitar in Hakyeon’s basement.

The way Sanghyuk’s foot catches on the edge of the trapdoor is almost comedic; his eyes are wide, focused only on Taekwoon holding his guitar, and while he first felt very much like a deer caught in the headlights, the sight of his boyfriend pitching forwards with a yelp has him tossing the instrument aside and rushing forwards.

He’s just a second too late; Sanghyuk manages to catch himself with the hand holding the comics (which ends up crushed), but he saves the tray of coffees with the other. The slushy drink sloshes precariously inside their plastic containers, but not a drop spills out.

“Be _careful_ ,” Taekwoon admonishes loudly, grabbing Sanghyuk’s elbow quickly. “You idiot, you could’ve hurt yourself!”

“That’s alright,” Sanghyuk breathes, snapping his head up to look at Taekwoon. His stomach flip flops madly when he can see the light sparkling in Sanghyuk’s eyes, and the pure excitement that’s etched on his face. He has no doubt as to why his boyfriend is looking so gleeful right now. “Forget that; you have a _guitar_. A new guitar! A nice one too— why on earth do you have one?”

Taekwoon schools his face into what he hopes is an indifferent expression, even though he feels the heat crawling up his neck and the frantic worry in his chest.

“It’s not mine,” he answers immediately, without thinking, and Sanghyuk scoffs, bouncing back up onto his feet in no time.

“Then whose is it? Your cat’s?”

“I just found it,” Taekwoon huffs, striding quickly away from Sanghyuk. He yanks the case from where it’s sitting on the ground, open, and hefts it onto his bed. He’s intent on cramming his guitar back into it, uncharacteristically clumsy and careless with his actions.

But Sanghyuk is there in the next moment, drinks and comics set aside, and his hand grasps Taekwoon’s wrist tightly, stopping him from possibly ruining his guitar with his rushed attempts at packing up.

“Hey,” Sanghyuk says, tone easy-going. He knows how to approach Taekwoon when he’s acting like this; the long term of their relationship has clearly trained him well. “Don’t be like this— can I see?”

Taekwoon’s breath catches in his throat, but he slips quickly away a moment later, pretending to shrug. “Sure,” he mumbles, striding across the attic to his desk. “It’s not even mine.”

He hears Sanghyuk snort, seeing through the obvious lie, but a moment later his boyfriend has arranged himself comfortably on Taekwoon’s bed. He holds the guitar up and inspects it with a critical eye, and when Sanghyuk makes small noises of appreciation and gives the occasional nod of approval, a knot in his stomach seems to unwind a little before Taekwoon has to give himself a mental slap. Sanghyuk can’t know, it’d be so embarrassing.

“This is a great guitar,” Sanghyuk looks up, grinning. “Nicely made, and sturdy. It’s a good fit for you, actually.”

“It’s not mine,” Taekwoon insists, even though it’s fruitless by now. He grabs one of the coffees and sips irritably through the straw. Sanghyuk rolls his eyes and sets the guitar carefully aside.

“Taekwoon. I wasn’t born yesterday, y’know.”

“If you were, I wouldn’t be dating you,” Taekwoon answers at once, deliberately avoiding the topic. And Sanghyuk stands, his gaze fixated on Taekwoon as he crosses the room briskly, tugs the drink out from Taekwoon’s numb fingers, and stands close enough for him to exert that extra inch of height to its fullest potential.

“You brought a guitar,” Sanghyuk says, voice soft. “But why didn’t you tell me? I could help you, I’ve played tons of instruments.”

“I know that,” Taekwoon grumbles, cross. He keeps his eyes on the collar of Sanghyuk’s t-shirt.

“I could’ve helped you practice—” Sanghyuk starts to say, sounding a little hurt, and crap, this isn’t what he wanted.

“I wanted to do this myself,” Taekwoon blurts out. “I—I know you’re really good with music. You’re literally a descendent of a Muse; you’re musically inclined towards every instrument. But I wanted to improve by myself, so I could— could—”

The words catch in his throat, and Taekwoon looks away, hating the blush that spreads up to his face, which only serves to burn hotter when Sanghyuk grasps his hands and finishes his sentence with impeccable swiftness.

“So you could surprise me,” Sanghyuk breathes, awed. “Taekwoon, did you finally consider joining my band?”

“N-not exactly,” Taekwoon splutters, but the secret is out, and Sanghyuk knows already, if the elated expression on his face is anything to go by. “… Okay, _yes_ , it was so I could join after I got better. Happy now?”

“Happy?” Sanghyuk cries, sweeping him into a crushing hug. “You have no hecking idea— oh my god, _finally_ , we can do jam sessions together and compose songs and do _everything_ — you really do want to join!”

“Yeah,” Taekwoon splutters, clutching at Sanghyuk’s waist. He has to hide his face when Sanghyuk happily gives him a peck on the cheek, too excited to contain himself. “But I’m still gonna practice by myself first,” he adds, stern. “No help from you, you child prodigy, or whatever. I’m not going to be a hinderance.”

“Okay, okay,” Sanghyuk laughs, giddy. “Sounds fair to me.”


	33. N/Leo - Your Voice, Which Fills The Space Around Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: How's life so far? c: thanks for opening prompts again! ; w ; could I please have neo, where Hakyeon is a DJ and Taekwoon calls his radio show after going through a breakup and Hakyeon makes him feel better? thank you! :DD
> 
> 16/05/22

It takes a moment, but after the usual whir of beeping and automatic clicks that indicates hundreds of little machines and digital receivers capturing the call from whichever end of the universe decided to dial in, Hakyeon habitually pulls the microphone closer to his face and says brightly, “Midnight Space Radio— your local or maybe galactical late hour radio show. I’m Hakyeon, what can I play for you?”

There’s silence for a moment, but a second later the voice that replies is a startlingly soft one, almost too quiet to be heard, but with an interesting question.

“… what would you recommend for a lonely person?”

“Lonely?” Hakyeon repeats. “Aw, how can you be lonely when you’re on the phone with me?”

“Well… you are going to hang up soon,” the voice says. Hakyeon has to strain to hear them speak, but there was something rather morose about that voice. They sounded tired.

“That is true,” Hakyeon admits. “I could make an exception and talk to you for a little longer; would that make you happy?”

The answer he receives is a spontaneous little chuckle, and it’s such a sweet little sound it pulls an involuntary grin from him.

“How long is a little longer?”

“Hm… maybe a few extra minutes if you can afford it,” Hakyeon replies. “Whereabouts in the universe might you be calling from?”

There’s a pause. “Saturn’s outer orbit,” the voice replies, and Hakyeon’s jaw drops.

“ _Saturn_? Damn, you’re far!”

Another little laugh. “Well, more specifically, I’m in orbit with one of Saturn’s moons.”

“Why in the world would you be so far out in space?” Hakyeon asks, perplexed. He can see the tech operators peering curiously at him through the glass, but he can’t help it. He knows he’s hogging the line, but he’s very intrigued about this mysterious caller who is, apparently, in orbit with one of Saturn’s moons.

“I work there,” the voice explains. “I’m a telecoms supervisor on the Rhea Station.”

“W-wow,” Hakyeon says, dumbfounded. He might not know much about how the intergalactical communication system actually works, but he does know that a telecoms supervisor is a relatively respectable and important post when it came to ensuring all forms of media exchange bouncing all over the galaxy operates smoothly. “What’s an important person like you doing calling our little radio station?”

“I listen to your shows,” the voice answers, quite simply. “I get saddled with overnight shifts a lot… it gets kind of quiet and my daytime co-worker only made anime playlists.”

“I’m honoured you’d spend your night shifts listening to me blabber on and on,” Hakyeon says, sheepish and happy at the same time. “I suspect it also gets very lonely out there, eh? Is that why you called?”

The caller falls silent, and after a very still pause, he whispers, “Yeah. It’s lonely.”

Hakyeon twirls his pen in his hand, glancing over at his monitor. Something doesn’t feel right. “Hey man,” he says, choosing his words carefully. “What’s your name?”

He can feel the surprise coming from the other end, but a second later, the voice answers, “Taekwoon.”

“Taekwoon,” Hakyeon repeats, nodding to himself. “Are you feeling okay, Taekwoon? You don’t sound so good.”

“I…” Taekwoon starts, and stops, and then tries again. “I’m okay. Sort of. Just having a rough time.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Hakyeon offers. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to! But if there’s anything I can do to help… I don’t want my listeners to feel sad, you know?”

Taekwoon chuckles. “Thank you,” he says. “It’s not something you can help me with, really. My boyfriend broke up with me recently because my job is, as you accurately pointed out before, pretty far.”

“Oh,” Hakyeon says, stunned. “Oh, Taekwoon, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s alright,” Taekwoon answers, soft. “Like I said, it’s not something you can help with. But I’m sort of glad I called in anyway… having a new person to talk to is a refreshing experience.”

“And you wanted to request a song,” Hakyeon remembers, and then feels embarrassed quite quickly; they’d been talking for so long he’d forgotten that Taekwoon had just originally called in for some music. “Oh man, I’m so sorry, I totally neglected your request.”

“It’s fine,” Taekwoon replies. “Really, I didn’t have a song in mind when I called… I wanted a recommendation, actually.”

“For a lonely person,” Hakyeon quotes, but that just makes everything sound sadder.

And Taekwoon— soft-voiced, tired Taekwoon, who has the night shift halfway across the universe and is even sadder now that his boyfriend had apparently left him— didn’t deserve to listen to music for lonely people.

“You know what,” Hakyeon hums, turning to face his monitor. “I’m going to pick out a song for you, but it’s not going to be a sad one. No listener is going to walk away from Midnight Space Radio _sad_. Have you ever heard of the duo group _The Lees_?”

“Not exactly,” Taekwoon admits, and Hakyeon grins to himself.

“Well, you’re in for a treat,” he promises. “Ballad singers, both of them, one plays the guitar and the other plays the piano. Wonderful, soulful voices and sweet music. I find it a little melancholic, but it’s soothing.”

“I trust your judgement,” Taekwoon says without hesitation, and Hakyeon’s heart swells.

“Our time is almost up,” he says, which is a lie, because this is probably one of the longest calls he’s had on his show— but it was worth it. “I’ll leave you with their song _Tomorrow Again_. I hope you’ll feel better soon.”

“I’m sure I’ll enjoy it,” Taekwoon says, and even though Hakyeon has never seen him, he imagines the other might be smiling. “Thank you, Hakyeon… for listening. Have a good night.”

“Yeah,” Hakyeon replies. His finger hovers over the _end call_  button, and he almost doesn’t want to push it. But the song is playing now, slowly starting up, and it’s time to go. Maybe Taekwoon will call in again, his mind whispers hopefully, and Hakyeon smiles at the thought.

But until then— “Goodnight, Taekwoon,” he says warmly, and quietly hangs up.


	34. OT6 (Ken centric) - Silver Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Ahh I'm so happy you're back!! Here's an ot6 prompt for their anniversary :) thank you for all your hard work! Harry Potter au where Ken is part veela and they have to fend everyone off from jaehwan who is a complete flirt/tease
> 
> 16/05/25

They should’ve known better than to let Jaehwan wander around on his own at the Leaky Cauldron, but the satisfied lull that followed a good meal and the happy buzz that came after downing a tall glass of firewhiskey had lowered their guards.

The next thing Hakyeon knows, Jaehwan is up at the bar, chatting animatedly with Tom the landlord, the bartender, and a gaggle of very starstruck witches and wizards hanging on to his every word.

“Merlin’s goats,” Hakyeon cusses loudly, sitting upright. “Not _again_.”

“What?” Hongbin asks, tilting his head towards him, and Hakyeon points. Taekwoon, Wonshik and Sanghyuk’s eyes follow as well, and the varying expressions on their faces that crop up at the slight of Jaehwan leaning against the counter, practically sparkling as he tells his story.

“I’ll get him,” Sanghyuk grumbles, getting to his feet.

“Aw, I wanna,” Wonshik says, and Sanghyuk rolls his eyes before grabbing Wonshik’s wrist, pulling him out of his chair.

“Well, hurry up then,” he chides, and the two of them stumble through the steadily growing crowd by the bar. They arrive just as Jaehwan is delivering his punchline, and it’s strange, how it suddenly feels like they’re stepping into a different kind of atmosphere. There’s a vibration in the air, bright and happy and simply energetic, and it’s no doubt the effect of Jaehwan’s Veela side at work. He feeds off the excitement and gives that same energy back tenfold.

The little audience Jaehwan’s gathered around him roars with laughter just as Sanghyuk grabs him by the elbow. Jaehwan spins around, eyes alight like winking stars, and he grins cheekily at them.

“Oh, Hyukkie. What’re you two doing here—?”

“I think that’s enough storytelling for one night,” Sanghyuk says pointedly. Jaehwan pretends to consider it, but then he shakes his head, deliberately being difficult.

“I wanted to get another drink,” he smirks, and Wonshik quickly grabs his other hand.

“Oh no,” he warns. “Hakyeon’ll set a horde of cornish pixies on us if we let you drink anything else.”

“But you can’t stop me, can you, Wonshik?” Jaehwan teases, squeezing closer until Wonshik is backed up against the bar, cheeks red but expression still firm. Jaehwan’s gaze roams over Wonshik’s face before he pouts and sags against Wonshik’s front, now childishly grumpy.

“What, now you decided to build some resilience against my charms?” he complains, and Sanghyuk takes that opportunity to seize Jaehwan around the waist, bodily lifting him off Wonshik and plopping him on the outer circle of the crowd, despite Jaehwan’s squawk. Nobody seems to notice them hustling Jaehwan back towards their table on the other end of the Leaky Cauldron, too absorbed in the excitable atmosphere he’d created.

When Sanghyuk and Wonshik had frogmarched Jaehwan back to his seat, they set him smack between Taekwoon and Hongbin despite Jaehwan’s half-hearted grumbles. Taekwoon immediately throws an arm around Jaehwan’s shoulders and pinches the side of his neck lightly, making him squirm and glower.

“Good work,” Hakyeon says, massaging his temple as Hongbin pushes his cup of tea towards him.

“None of you guys ever let me have fun,” Jaehwan says loudly, trying to ignore the way Hongbin is now joining in on the neck touching.

“What’s fun about watching you flirt with a group of people while we all sit here eating dinner?” Wonshik asks aloud, actually looking a little hurt.

“He just thinks he’s funny when he riles others up,” Hakyeon soothes, patting Wonshik comfortingly on the back. “Right, Jaehwan?” he adds, and Jaehwan crosses his arms. He looks so tiny squashed between Taekwoon and Hongbin’s broad shoulders— it’s hard not to imagine him as an irritable toddler that didn’t get their toy.

“Just you wait,” Jaehwan says. “I’m going to jinx your underwear inside out. All of you.”

“Really?” Hongbin chortles. “You really want to go head to head with two Aurors, a Ministry Official  _and_  a Transfiguration expert? You do you, man.”

Jaehwan turns his nose up, no longer trying to bat Taekwoon’s hands off him.

“Well, I was bored,” he says, giving each of them a pointed look. “What’s the point of being hot _and_ having five hot boyfriends when all we do is go out to boring dinners?”

“I’m not going to starve, even for you,” Taekwoon says crossly, making Sanghyuk laugh.

“Besides, it’s still relatively early in the evening,” Hakyeon comments, propping his chin up on his hands. “I’m sure we’ll find some suitable activities to do later on.”

Jaehwan’s sullen expression falls away as quickly as it’d appeared, now replaced by a seductive grin. It’s fascinating how quickly his demeanor changes, and there’s a different kind of air surrounding him now as he leans forwards, mimicking Hakyeon’s pose. Hongbin’s hand slips unconciously off Jaehwan’s shoulders, and when it comes to rest at the dip of Jaehwan’s spine, none of them are surprised when he doesn’t remove it.

“I like the sound of that,” Jaehwan hums, biting his bottom lip, and Hakyeon has to blink twice. Beside him, Wonshik inhales shakily, and forcibly adverts his eyes.

“I’ll pick up the bill,” Sanghyuk volunteers without complaint, and the stack of galleons and sickles had barely been magicked over to the counter before the six of them were spilling out onto the street, hands curled around one each others’, ready to head home early for the night. 


	35. N/Hyuk - La Belle Fleur

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hakyeon needs to buy flowers to put them in his handmade candles and Hyuk works at a flower shop. ;)
> 
> 16/05/25

He’d barely set foot inside the store, a greeting on the tip of his tongue, before a sudden explosion of sunflowers bursts into his face, showering him with the fresh scent of flowers and and puff of bright yellow pollen. Hakyeon screams, throwing his hands up wildly as he all but collapses onto the floor, legs and arms up in the air.

The sunflowers explodes into a puff of bright yellow smoke around him while he pants for breath, heart racing in his chest. A loud, unbridled laugh sounds from somewhere above him, and Hakyeon scowls deeply as he tosses his head back and glares up at the ceiling.

“ _Sanghyuk!_  That was _not_  funny!”

“What, didn’t like my surprise?” Sanghyuk chortles as he does a somersault in the air, his fairy wings fluttering behind him as he rolls and finally lands on the floor, much more gracefully than Hakyeon had earlier. Hakyeon scowls as the younger walks up to him, smoothing out the front of his bright pink apron.

“That was the shittiest surprise I’ve ever gotten in my life, and I once walked in on Wonshik and Hongbin flooding my kitchen and bathroom at the same time.”

“You’d consider a flooded apartment a better shock then some pretty flowers in your face?” Sanghyuk asks incredulously. “I’m hurt.”

He offers a hand to Hakyeon, and Hakyeon huffs, taking it nonetheless. As Sanghyuk’s large hand dwarfs his own, the fairy gives an almighty yank and tugs Hakyeon up onto his feet. He stumbles, pitching forwards into Sanghyuk’s chest, and before he could wiggle aside, cheeks flaming, Sanghyuk slides his arms around Hakyeon’s waist and interlocks his fingers at the small of his back, grinning when Hakyeon’s expression grows stormier.

“You better let go right now, Han Sanghyuk.”

“Or else?” Sanghyuk asks cheekily, tilting his head. Periwinkle blue flower petals fall out of his sunshine blond hair, drifting around them. Hakyeon squares his shoulders and gives Sanghyuk a pointed look.

“Or else I’ll tell Taekwoon you were the one who accidentally drowned his cacti collection when he went on his honeymoon with Jaehwan.”

Sanghyuk’s face quickly morphs in one of horror. “You wouldn’t,” he says loudly, but he doesn’t look so sure. Hakyeon smirks.

“Oh, but I would,” he says, and Sanghyuk groans, letting his arms fall away from Hakyeon’s sides. Sniffing, Hakyeon makes a big show of rearranging his clothes before spinning around to browse through the shelves full of flowers.

“You’re mean,” Sanghyuk complains, trailing along behind Hakyeon as he inspects each blossom. “You promised that would stay between you and me.”

“If you don’t think I’m gonna utilize all my blackmail material against you at every turn, you are sorely mistaken, Hyukkie,” Hakyeon says airily, and smiles to himself when he sees Sanghyuk slump against the shelf, a grumpy look on his face. His shimmery, translucent wings flutter irritably behind him as he toys with a little potted tulip, coaxing the flower to bloom and close quickly.

“What are you here for?” Sanghyuk finally asks. “Aside from being a party pooper.”

“Uncalled for,” Hakyeon sniffs. “I’m looking for some new flowers to add to my candles.”

“ _Still_  making candles?” Sanghyuk asks, loping forwards with curiosity. “I seriously thought you’d be over that hobby by now.”

“That was before I opened an online shop for them,” Hakyeon grins, and his heart flutters at the way Sanghyuk’s eyes widen cutely.

“You’re selling them online? Since when!”

“Since I realized how popular they were,” Hakyeon says smugly. “It’s only a small business though, so it’s not too time consuming. Besides, it’s fun.”

Sanghyuk squints at him, like he’s trying to find the lie, but there isn’t any. “That’s kinda cool,” the fairy eventually admits. “Nice that you can make some extra cash on the side.”

“Exactly,” Hakyeon nods before clapping his hand onto Sanghyuk’s shoulder, hard. The fairy winces and pulls a face at him. “Now c’mon! I need the prettiest, most aromatic flowers you have!”

“Pushy,” Sanghyuk groans, but allows Hakyeon to follow him all over the store as they pick out new flowers together. Sanghyuk procures little basket from nowhere, and dutifully hangs on to it while Hakyeon selects his flowers with a critical eye and a careful sniff. He’s aware of Sanghyuk watching him, eyes never straying from the Hakyeon’s face as he brushes his nose against the petals, inhaling the scent. (And if he secretly lingers a little longer, taking his time with his selections, he’ll say it’s for the sake of careful decision making and not at all for the loving attention he’s clearly getting).

“I expect some freebies from you,” Sanghyuk complains as he rings up Hakyeon’s purchases nearly twenty minutes later, deducting a sizeable discount from the total without being asked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Hakyeon says, smiling down at the huge bag of flowers in his hand. “I’ll drop by with the misshapen ones I can’t sell.”

He expects Sanghyuk to launch another round of objections, but he’s surprised when the fairy reaches forwards instead, gently cupping Hakyeon’s chin with the palm of his hand as he leans close.

Hakyeon splutters, stunned, but Sanghyuk stops short just before he’s really up in Hakyeon’s face. His eyes are fixated on Hakyeon’s bangs, and with a mumble of _don’t move_ , he carefully brushes something off Hakyeon’s hair with his other hand. More yellowy powder falls around his face, like bits of stardust, and Sanghyuk finally leans back, dropping his hand with a satisfied nod.

“Sorry, you got some pollen stuck in your hair,” he says, and all Hakyeon could do was nod, utterly tongue-tied.

“Thanks,” he garbles out, clutching the flowers to his chest. “I’ll— I’ll come by soon.”

Sanghyuk’s eyes crinkle with the force of his grin at those words, and his wings flutter cheerfully behind him as he shoves his hands into the pockets of his apron.

“Good,” the florist fairy says happily, and Hakyeon’s heart nearly beats out of his chest. “See you then, Hakyeon.”


	36. OT3 (Ravi/Hongbin/Hyuk) - Gothic Corners

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: rahyukbin smut (bottom!hyuk)
> 
> 16/05/26
> 
> *nsfw

The cabinet under the sink was rattling with an alarming kind of intensity, accompanied by drawn-out groans and garbled moans. Whatever is stuck in there actually sounds so distraught that Sanghyuk finally pushes Hongbin off him long enough to gasp, “What the hell is _under_  there?”

“What?” Hongbin asks distractedly, too focused on mouthing at the sensitive spot beneath Sanghyuk’s jaw to care. The jolt that tingles down his spine is nearly enough to distract him, but then the locked cabinet lets out a horrific _bang_ , and Sanghyuk hears his tooth brush fall into the sink.

“The hell,” he groans, turning away; Hongbin growls lowly in the back of his throat and chases after Sanghyuk, setting his weight down to keep the younger from shifting too far.

“Wonshik,” Hongbin snaps, spinning around to glower at the other man, who’s sitting comfortably at the end of the humongous four-poster bed, shirtless and watching Hongbin and Sanghyuk make out with interest. “Go shut whatever’s under there up.”

“Just ignore it,” Wonshik grumbles, rubbing at his bare shoulder. The hundreds of different tattoos inked onto his skin seem to gleam under the dim candlelight from the cobweb-covered glass chandelir hanging above them, which rattles slightly every once in a while.

“No offence, but it’s a little difficult to get in the mood when you know there’s a bit of an unwanted audience,” Sanghyuk says, and Wonshik heaves a sigh. He swings his long legs off the bed and plod off across the spacious room, pants slung low around his waist, to inspect the source of the annoyance. Hongbin smirks as he watches Wonshik go.

“Hate to see him leave…” he begins, and Sanghyuk laughs, smacking the other in the chest.

“Love to watch him go,” he finishes, and Hongbin kisses him hard, biting down on his lip and swiping his tongue across Sanghyuk’s once he gets the chance.

“Done,” Wonshik interrupts loudly, suddenly appearing on Sanghyuk’s right. “Just the funky old toilet ghoul, you child.”

“Hey, it was giving me the creeps, okay?” Sanghyuk pants, twitching when Hongbin drags his nails down his bare chest, tongue flicking out in amusement.

“And you’ve been working at the haunted hotel for how long now?” Hongbin snickers. “Would’ve thought you’d have gotten used to a plain ghoulie or a bumbling ghostie in the hall by now.”

“It’s still weird,” Sanghyuk mumbles, and blushes when Hongbin undoes his belt and yanks the zipper down on his jeans, tapping on his thigh. Sanghyuk lifts his hips and Hongbin’s quick to toss both his pants and underwear aside, shamelessly grinning down at him.

“But you hang out with us,” Wonshik says lowly, catching Sanghyuk’s attention as Hongbin places his hands on Sanghyuk’s knees and spreads his legs. “Aren’t the two of us a little scarier than some wandering spirit?”

“… maybe,” Sanghyuk breathes, and his breath hitches when he feels Hongbin’s fingers, slick with lube, glide down his leg and move further down. Wonshik laughs at his expression and slides a hand under Sanghyuk’s head, squeezing the back of his neck lightly.

“Well, if you’re not careful, we might end up devouring you by accident,” Wonshik hums, a sharp glint in his eye that makes Sanghyuk’s heart leap in his chest. But Hongbin chooses to add an extra finger at the same moment, and his mind immediately reroutes his priorities. Wonshik coos at him, a litany of pet names showered endlessly over him until Hongbin finally finishes prepping him, slides a condom on and thrusts into Sanghyuk— his desperate sobs aren’t loud enough to drown out Wonshik’s heated praise, filthy enough to make him blush, but not nearly as indecent as the way Hongbin’s grinning down at him, dark bangs falling down to hide his one eye as his holds Sanghyuk’s hips in place before fucking into him.

He almost does cry when Hongbin finally comes and slides out of him; his debauched expression is  _unbearably_ attractive. Wonshik chuckles and gives Sanghyuk one last peck on the lips before he’s taking Hongbin’s place, settling comfortably between his splayed legs. Only this time, he places his hands on the backs of Sanghyuk’s knees and push his legs up, folding him in half, and Sanghyuk chokes, grasping desperately at Hongbin’s hands for support.

“Easy,” Hongbin laughs, placing a kiss on his forehead. “It’s okay, Hyukkie. Just focus on Wonshik— look at him _go_ , that beast.”

An unnatural chill settles in the room, which isn’t uncommon (it mostly means something supernatural is probably breezing past, lost in their own undead thoughts) but the temperature is a welcome change on his sweat-slick body. Hongbin soothes him with even more kisses and whispered promises, like _that’s good don’t take your eyes off Wonshik and I’ll give you a reward_ , followed by  _perfect, Hyukkie, you really should come now, you’re drive Wonshik absolutely mad_.

He bites back a scream as he comes, and Wonshik follows quickly after, eyes shut as his hold tightens on Sanghyuk’s legs. Hongbin laughs softly the moment Sanghyuk goes limp, eyes glazed, and snatches up a handful of tissues from the nightstand.

“So beautiful,” he says, expertly cleaning them up; Wonshik flops onto the springy mattress on Sanghyuk’s other side a second later, his touch gentle as he brushes his knuckles over Sanghyuk’s cheekbones.

“Are you okay?” he asks, and Sanghyuk nods, the feeling of absolute bliss settling in his bones.

“Great,” he laughs weakly, and sinks down into the pillows as Hongbin draws the blanket up to his waist. “Spook-tacular, you might say.”

Wonshik rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling while Hongbin makes an irritable noise.

“I’ll gag you next time,” he warns, sliding a possessive arm over Sanghyuk’s waist beneath the blanket.

“If you say so,” Sanghyuk replies airily, and there’s a loud, mournful moan from beneath the sink again.

“Oh, _shut up_!” Hongbin yells over his shoulder, and only stops his annoyed cursing when Wonshik and Sanghyuk tug him back down onto the bed.


	37. Ravi/Hongbin - Mr. Kim & Mr. Lee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: O my gods yes!! If this interests you could you do a mr and mrs smith theme but with ravi/bean please? Maybe super suspense/angsty but a fluffier ending? Thank you! Love love love your writing and can't wait to see what you do with this :)
> 
> 16/05/26

There is a short, but very condensed list of certain things Hongbin cannot stand hearing. It begins with some simple stuff, like hearing the neighbours’ sprinklers go off at 3am, or the irritable blare of car horns when he’s stuck in downtown traffic. Somewhere a little higher on that list contains his husband Wonshik’s obnoxious snoring, the roar of relentless gunfire on all sides of him, and the sound of Wonshik’s Condescending Voice when they’re both arguing.

Right now, there is definitely an overload of relentless gunfire Wonshik’s Condescending Voice surrounding him.

“All I ever wanted,” he shouts into his mouthpiece, “Is some god damn peace and quiet. But no. Even in your _sleep_  you couldn’t shut the heck up!”

“I have no control over my snoring habits,” Wonshik retorts furiously, his voice crackling in the earpiece wedged inside his ear. “You, on the other hand, are the one who doesn’t understand the concept of playing your music at an appropriate volume!”

Hongbin grunts when a spray of bullets punch holes into the wall above him, slumping further down below the window as he reloads.

“I was in the basement!” he snaps, carefully sliding up against the wall; he immediately spots an enemy assassin hiding behind his carefully pruned hydrangea bush and he fires through the plant, watching as the man slump onto the ground. Damn it, he’d worked so hard on trimming the stray branches too.

Wonshik snorts loudly into his mouthpiece, and Hongbin can see a flash of movement down by the pool, which is quickly followed by a rain of bullets. He groans as it tears up the lawn, which Wonshik had just mowed the day before (shirtless).

“How would you like it if your husband spent all his time gushing about another male singer?” Wonshik grouses as he catches his breath. “Hyoshin this, Hyoshin that— I would’ve thought _he_  was your husband if I didn’t walk down the aisle with you three years ago!”

“Oh, now you’re acting petty and jealous?” Hongbin demands incredulously. “I’m just a fan, Wonshik, what’s it to you? This was all a farce anyway!”

“No kidding,” Wonshik says angrily. “So happy to know the guy I woke up to every morning would eventually try to kill me. Just happy couple things, y’know?”

“Don’t even act like you didn’t try to set me on fire either!” Hongbin shouts back, and proceeds to take his anger out on the next group of foolish assassins trying to sneak around the patio. He barely has any time to mourn the destruction of a rather decent paint job he and Wonshik did two summers ago before he hears a scuffle sound in his earpiece. Whirling around, he sees Wonshik wrestling with a masked man, stepping precariously out towards the myrtle trees, where he’d lose cover.

“God damn it, Wonshik, don’t go out in the open!” he yells, quickly dashing to the other broken window in their master bedroom. He trips over a bunch of miscellaneous objects as he goes— dusty clothes, books and Wonshik’s favourite headphones. Gritting his teeth, Hongbin positions himself carefully and raises his gun once more.

“I _know_ ,” Wonshik pants, and there’s a loud grunting noise before Hongbin sees the attacker tossed out in the open. He doesn’t hesitate to eliminate them quickly, and exhales shakily as he listens to Wonshik breathing. For a moment, they’re silent, even though the garden is full of noise and ruckus.

“Look,” Wonshik finally says. “I know I’ve lied, but you did too. Neither of us are clear on that one. But I told you I’d tell you the truth after we saw through each other’s identities.”

“What good will that do?” Hongbin grits out, clutching his weapon tightly. “We were on the verge of divorce anyway. I couldn’t stand your damn mess and your sloppy street fighting techniques, and you hated my obsession with cleaning and how ‘technical’ I got about weaponry. We even wrecked the vacation house on our anniversary arguing with each other over how to hide a gun. Fuck, I threw you through a wall.”

Wonshik gave a mumble of acknowledgement, but to Hongbin’s surprise, he answers: “Well, I tried to toss you out of the sunroof, but we both survived. It was worth seeing the insurance rep’s face when he came to investigate the damage. Remember what you told him?”

Hongbin grins in spite of himself, finger brushing against the side of the trigger. “I said a racoon got in.”

Wonshik’s laugh resonates right in his ear, so close. It reminds Hongbin of the backhugs he’d used to get from his husband, and the little compliments he’d get about how handsome he was, or to thank him for picking up dinner when it was technically Wonshik’s turn to get it.

“See, I knew I married you for a reason,” Wonshik offers, voice gentle. “Even if it’s not for your cleaning. We can still try this out, you know.”

“Assuming we live after today,” Hongbin mumbles. His heart is racing. He knows there’s only one assassin lurking about behind the gate, and he’s waiting on his chance to strike. A shadow moves, and he hastens to lift his gun. “Wonshik, I—”

He sees the man lift the grenade launcher a moment too late, and his words catch in his throat even as he fires at the same time the assassin in the yard blows up the entire row of myrtle trees and hydrangea bushes into a pile of dirt. His target falls, eliminated, but there’s horrible feedback in his earpiece and Hongbin grabs it, terrified.

“Wonshik? _Wonshik!_ ” he yells. “Answer me! Wonshik! Where are you?” 

The answering cough he hears in the earpiece makes him go weak-kneed, and he’s stumbling down the stairs a second later, leaping over the destruction.

Wonshik staggers into the blown-out side of their house, sweaty and dirty but very much whole, and very much alive. Hongbin seizes him and yanks him close, tucking his face into Wonshik’s chest as he squeezes his husband tightly.

“Thank god,” he whispers in relief. “Damn it. Okay, we’re getting out of here.”

“Yeah,” Wonshik answers, dazed, but he still seeks Hongbin’s hand out. He gives a wobbly smile. “Together.”

+

Two weeks later, the insurance broker is standing in their ruined yard, clutching at a clipboard as he gazes at the ruins that is their house while sweating under the blazing afternoon sun.

“W-what is this?” he squeaks, mopping at his brow as he turns to them for confirmation.

Hongbin glances over at Wonshik, who’s leaning on him despite the crutches in hand. The two share a grin before Hongbin turns back, pushing his designer sunglasses up his nose.

“Oh, you know,” he shrugs. “A raccoon got in.”


	38. Ravi/Hyuk - It's Cold Beneath the Burning Rage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: hyuk/ravi - contrary to popular belief, sanghyuk is very frail in the aspects of what he shows he's strong in, and being his long time roommate, ravi is very aware of it. can be any genre, and canon-verse or alternate universe~
> 
> 16/05/27

He wakes suddenly in the night, momentarily displaced and confused. It takes Wonshik a moment to realize that he’s alone in the bedroom, and that the space on the other half of the large, king-sized bed in the room is empty.

Irrational fear rises up in his insides; for a second he’s certain that Peacekeepers must’ve broken in secretly, taking Sanghyuk away without his notice, but a moment later he hears familiar footsteps downstairs, and a familiar cough accompanying it.

Wonshik throws the covers off himself and fumbles blindly in the dark, grabbing the first sweater he touches hanging off the hooks on the wall. He walks swiftly out of the bedroom, down the hall, and nearly stumbles down the winding, spacious steps to the first level of the mansion. The house is mostly dark, gloomy and a bit cold, but there’s a light on in the kitchen. Wonshik doesn’t waste his time walking in— he’s making so much noise that he’s certain Sanghyuk would’ve heard him coming over.

Sure enough, the younger man is looking up when he walks in. He has his wood carving tools out, paused mid-action in the little figurine he’d been carving, and when Wonshik walks over, Sanghyuk sets his work aside in favour of welcoming Wonshik into his arms.

Wonshik exhales shakily and cradles Sanghyuk’s head with gentle hands, brushing back the short hair hanging limply over his eyes.

“Sorry,” Sanghyuk offers, his voice scratchy from lack of use. “I didn’t want to wake you, but I couldn’t…”

“Couldn’t sleep?” Wonshik asks, and he feels Sanghyuk nod. They stand together for another silent moment, simply feeling each other’s warmth until Sanghyuk gently pushes Wonshik back and nudges one of the stools under the table out for him to sit on. Wonshik grabs the seat and shifts it close to Sanghyuk’s side, till their knees bump together.

“Was it a nightmare?” Wonshik asks, watching Sanghyuk fiddle with a small knife. Sanghyuk shakes his head, gaze fixated on the half-finished carving, and Wonshik bites his lip. “Was it because of the dinner event?” he asks again, and Sanghyuk shifts uncomfortably before nodding.

“I hate going back there,” he mutters, expression dark. “I hate everything about that fucking city.”

Wonshik can’t say he disagrees; the exaggerated colours, lifestyles and actions of the Capitol always makes his skin crawl and the hairs stand up on the nape of his neck. The ludicrous make up, body modifcations and fashions all jumble up in his head every time he’s invited (forced) to attend any one of the high profile parties. The fact that he’s a Victor makes it all the worse; he’s paraded around like some exotic animal, grabbed and leered at like he’s a prized statue. Sanghyuk’s mastered the art of balancing the casual friendliness and stoic intimidation, so while people still approach him, they’re not as handsy as they are with Wonshik.

Except, it’s still a mask, so each time they step back inside their home at the Victor’s Village, the joyous, adoring shouts of Capitol citizens that cling to their skin like a slime burn off them. It washes off each time Sanghyuk breaks down into tears in their room, when the nightmares would surface and cling to him. He watches what the rest of the Capitol could only see on the screen— the ruthless, driven Tribute that clawed his way to victory three years ago— vanish between the painful silences and moments of vulnerability that he only shows to Wonshik.

He doesn’t say anything back to Sanghyuk, because he knows there’s nothing else he can say to alleviate the other of the anger and pain he has churning through him. Instead, Wonshik picks up the little wood carving, admiring the careful cuts to its figure. He reaches out and grasps Sanghyuk’s hand with his own, squeezing gently, and Sanghyuk leans over to drop his forehead against his shoulder. Exhaustion seeps through him, but Wonshik is determined to take a part of it, so Sanghyuk doesn’t have to bear it all on his own.

“It’s beautiful,” he says instead, turning the little carving of the fawn over in his hands.

“Thanks,” Sanghyuk chuckles. “I wasn’t going to finish it tonight… I wanted to show you in the morning.”

“Come back to bed then,” Wonshik says, standing. Sanghyuk blinks up at him, but he slides out of his chair all the same, lowering his tools back onto the table as he does. Wonshik pulls him away from his work, drawing Sanghyuk close, and the two of them step out of the light in the kitchen and back into the quietness of the rest of the house. “You need rest. We can talk in the morning, if you want.”

“Okay,” Sanghyuk breathes. His hand is warm in Wonshik’s hold. “Tomorrow morning, then.”


	39. N/Hongbin - Golden Opportunities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: n/hongbin where hongbin and n always take the same train but hongbin keeps falling asleep and n always wakes him up? :3
> 
> 16/05/30

The handsome young man sitting across from him on the train was drooling.

As Hakyeon watches on, he sniffles loudly, shifts in his seat, and when the train hits the curve on the rails, his head lolls off onto the side and flops against the top of the other seat.

Hakyeon flicks a bit of lint off his sleeve and glances down the compartment of the train. There was only another man, standing by the doors as he waits for the train to pull up to its next stop, and further down, a cluster of unfamiliar teenagers were talking amongst themselves.

Hakyeon smiles. Perfect.

The moment the man exits the train, he stands and swiftly changes seats, plonking himself down next to the sleeping man. Up close, he’s even more pleasant to look at, with a long, straight nose, high cheekbones and soft pink lips. Hakyeon allows himself to admire for a second more before he slowly extends his hand, lifts the side of the man’s jacket, and feels along the lining for his goal: the wallet.

It’s almost too easy. The flat leather target was nestled comfortably inside the pocket, but Hakyeon’s fingers are deft and quick. He lifts his prize out using his index and middles fingers with barely a rustle, masterful with his work.

Flipping the wallet open, he disregards the few credit cards, business cards and old receipt stubs tucked in the various pockets. Instead, he checks out the bills folded inside, and isn’t disappointed— Hakyeon deftly picks out a fair amount before closing the wallet and dropping it neatly back into the man’s jacket.

Then he stands, pocketing the cash, and goes back to his seat. For a while there’s nothing but silence on the train, and just as it pulls up towards the station, the man sitting across from him jolts awake with a soft grunt, looking around him. Apparently recognizing his surroundings, he stands, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and stumbling towards the doors.

Hakyeon watches out of the corner of his eye as the train screeches to a stop. The doors slide open, the man steps out, and they continue onwards.

Satisfied, Hakyeon stands and moves to stand for the next station. The teenagers are also apparently getting off too, because when the doors open again, they elbow roughly past Hakyeon, ignoring his scowl at their retreating backs bulldozing their way across the platform.

Youth nowadays, he thinks. No decorum at all.

+

The handsome man is sleeping on the train again two days later.

Hakyeon is also sitting across from him, dressed differently and wearing a wig. He adjusts his hat and watches with interest at the man’s splayed legs, slack with sleep, and when the train hits the same curve again, his head flops hilariously once more.

Hakyeon can’t help but snort softly. That might be a grown man, yes, but it’s still sort of cute.

But— not cute enough for him to spare.

He gets up, sits soundlessly down beside the other man, and slips his hand into the inside of his jacket again

Wallet, cash, back in its place, and not a hair was stirred.

Hakyeon stashes his money inside a secret pocket of his own coat, and he’s about to get back up when he notices the teenagers watching him.

For a moment he thinks he’s caught, but a second later he notices the boys’ angry faces, their glares directed towards him and the man. Hakyeon arches his brow and settles back in the seat, arms crossed over his chest. Fascinating, he thinks with a small smile. Those boys had had their eye out on his target too.

Well, not today. Reaching over, he grasps the man’s shoulder and shakes him gently. Yelping, the man sits bolt upright, looking around in confusion until his gaze lands on Hakyeon. His eyes are pretty, Hakyeon notices. Cutely shaped, like a fawn’s, and shimmery brown in colour.

“Hey, I think it’s your stop,” Hakyeon says in a friendly tone, nodding towards the station.

“Oh— oh, it is,” the man blinks. “Thanks,” he adds, giving Hakyeon a grateful smile. Dimples appear on his cheeks, and Hakyeon’s secret romantic side swoons a little.

“No problem,” he replies, offering a pleasant smile of his own, and meets the teenagers’ infuriated looks as the man gets up and walks towards the door. _Not in my territory, brats_ , he challenges, and holds their stares until the train pulls up to the next stop.

+

It’s the third time they’ve met, and the man is _still_  sleeping.

Hakyeon can hardly believe it; the public is just so trusting nowadays, aren’t they? Well, no matter, it just makes things easier for him.

Except today is not like any other day, because the second he stands up, the teenagers are suddenly on their feet, launching themselves at him. Hakyeon grunts as he’s knocked to the ground; he may be a grown man, but there are four teen boys latching onto him.

Annoyance builds up in him as he tries to fend of their wild strikes. He takes advantage of their inexperience as he elbows one hard in the stomach, punches another in the face, and works to push the other two off him.

A fist lands square on his nose and Hakyeon’s head rocks back, waiting painfully for the next hit, but it never comes, because someone else is grabbing the boy by the hair and throwing him off Hakyeon. The last teen is wretched off him, tossed to the floor, and Hakyeon barely has time to realize it’s the sleeping man who’s apparently saved his ass before he feels a hand on his wrist and cold and metal on his skin. He’s dragged out the opening doors, off the train, and it’s not until they’re standing on the platform that Hakyeon looks down and realizes he’s got a handcuff on his wrist.

“What the fuck,” he swears, stunned, and the man smiles brightly at him.

“Hello,” he says. “Thanks for waking me up for my stop the other day. Detective Lee Hongbin, at your service.”

To Hakyeon’s growing horror, the man pulls out his badge from his back pocket, flashing silver and an identification card at him.

“What the _fuck_ ,” he repeats, and Hongbin laughs.

“It’s quite unfortunate we have to introduce ourselves this way,” he says nonchalantly. Hakyeon takes back everything he’s thought of about the man being handsome. “Normally, I’d proceed with reading you your rights before bringing you back to the station, but after seeing what you can do… I’m thinking there’s a better way to handle this.”

“And how’s that?” Hakyeon spits, fury bubbling his his veins. Hongbin simply smirks as he steps forwards; Hakyeon sets his jaws and squares his shoulders, refusing to back down.

“I’m gonna make you a deal that’ll benefit you and I,” Hongbin says softly. “You get some freedom and the use of your skills, and I’m gonna start seeing some other pickpockets brought to light. And we’ll see if you take that offer, or…” he lets the implication hang in the air, and Hakyeon snarls, grabbing a fistful of Hongbin’s lapel.

“Just tell me the details, you stupid sly cop,” he hisses, unwilling resignation sinking down in him, and Hongbin’s eyes gleam.

“Perfect,” he breathes. “Let’s begin.”


	40. Ravi/Hyuk - Everything Between Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Power play hyukvi smut please? With bottom ravi, and maybe on that expensive rug they have in their room, haha. Have a good day~
> 
> 16/06/09
> 
> *nsfw

The sudden knock on his door had startles Wonshik up from his notes, and he’s momentarily disoriented by the darkness beyond the little halo of light from his desk lamp. Night had fallen outside without his notice, and Wonshik looked blearily down at his work. At this hour, when everybody should’ve been asleep, only one person would come and distract him like this—

The renewed, sped up knocking makes him jerk up from his seat, anxiety setting his nerves alight; if anybody heard the ruckus, they’d report it to the cranky student hall monitor on their floor, and then he’d really be in trouble. Crossing the room quickly, Wonshik unlocks his door and yanks it back, forcing the insistent rapping to a halt.

“ _Stop that_ ,” he hissed, angry words on the tip of his tongue, but Sanghyuk is already pushing his way into the room, one hand on Wonshik’s waist and the other prying his fingers off the poor doorknob. Lips, cold from the exposure to the night air outside, meet his and Wonshik’s already slipping, mind going hazy with want as Sanghyuk kisses him hard. The door is nudged shut behind him, and it’s only the sharp sound of the lock clicking that jolts Wonshik to his senses.

“Sanghyuk,” he gasps, wrenching himself back. “Stop— why are you here?”

“Seeing you, duh,” Sanghyuk whispers back, mouth pressing back onto Wonshik’s, and he has to turn his head to the side to break it off again.

“You shouldn’t be,” he snaps, grabbing the front of Sanghyuk’s thick sweater. “We’ve been over this a million times; your mother doesn’t want you seeing me!”

“When did you care what my mother thinks?” Sanghyuk asks, quirking a brow, and Wonshik twitches, partly out of irritation and partly because Sanghyuk’s cold hands have found their way beneath his shirt. He’s stroking the warm skin at Wonshik’s hips, soothing.

“She went through a whole lot of cash paying off the school, the board, _and_  the Director to get you out of our dorm,” Wonshik retorts. “I’m inclined to think she’s not going to be pleased with either of us breaking the rules.”

Sanghyuk’s eyes narrow, and he keeps stepping forwards while Wonshik tries to hold his ground. But Sanghyuk’s superior bulk wins out, and Wonshik stumbles over a pair of shoes on the floor. He yelps, tipping backwards, but he’s still grabbing the front of Sanghyuk’s shirt and the two of them go down, landing with a muffled _thump_  on the plush, forest-green rug on the floor. For a moment they both freeze, listening intently, but there’s no sign that anybody cared about the sudden noise.

Slowly, Sanghyuk exhales. His arms are bracketed around Wonshik, one hand cradling the back of his head, the other by his shoulder. Their bodies are pressed against each other’s, with Wonshik’s knees bent and his legs spread for Sanghyuk. The intimacy of their position and the way Sanghyuk can effortlessly pin him down makes him flush.

“ _Sanghyuk_ ,” Wonshik breathes, and Sanghyuk gives him a wry smile. When he lowers his lips for another kiss, there’s a significantly lesser amount of protesting involved.

“Did you miss me?” Sanghyuk asks, pulling away to murmur quietly next to Wonshik’s ear. “I definitely missed _you_. My new place is terrible; it’s full of snobby upper years with bad tempers because they’re jealous my mom can afford to ‘bail’ me out of a first year dorm. All because of you…”

_I will not have my son, my only heir, stay in the same room as a commoner,_  he remembered Madame Han saying, her voice cool and unsympathetic. _Scholarship student at this Institute, or not._

Wonshik swallows, looking away, and whines softly when Sanghyuk’s hand slips beneath the soft fabric of his sleep pants.

“Remember how we picked this rug out together?” Sanghyuk whispers, and Wonshik’s hips buck up. His fingers gather bunches of Sanghyuk’s sweater, and he feels Sanghyuk’s other hand squeeze the back of his neck. “We splurged so much on it because we knew how often I’d be fucking you on it… I wanted to make sure you were comfortable, still. I don’t get to do much of that at my new place now.”

He’s pleading breathlessly, face buried in the crook of Sanghyuk’s neck, embarrassed and with a longing so savage it tears through him. He did miss Sanghyuk, so much, and even though Madame Han had continued paying for Sanghyuk’s half of the room so he’d get the benefit of having the whole place to himself (likely to bribe him from seeing Sanghyuk again), the loneliness had been stifling.

“You’re so good,” Sanghyuk pants, jerking Wonshik off relentlessly. “I miss seeing your face when you’re like this— for me— only—”

Wonshik arches, mouth falling open, his moan escaping him before he could stop it, but Sanghyuk doesn’t seem to care. He’s sucking bruises down the line of Wonshik’s neck, praises murmured against his skin, his arms practically holding Wonshik off the rug as Wonshik slumps bonelessly back, heaving for breath. Sanghyuk’s arms are warm, his whole body is warm, and the kisses—

For the first time in weeks, he feels safe, and content.


	41. Hyuk/Hongbin - Calculated Infiltration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hyukbin prompt: Sanghyuk injuring his leg in practice and Hongbin helping him out
> 
> 16/06/11

He hadn’t expected the infiltration into the other team’s base to go smoothly, but he certainly hadn’t expected one of his opposing team’s candidates to suddenly leap out at him from the bushes in the dark either. Hongbin thinks he’s partially to blame for not being on his toes, but then again, Rovix had stated the rules quite clearly at the start: no surprise attacks could be sprung while the candidates were still travelling through the designated safe zones. Still. Real life probably didn’t have guidelines like that.

He’s also willing to bet ‘real life’ wouldn’t consist of Sanghyuk suddenly bursting out from where he’d been climbing through the trees either, landing on top of the cheating candidate before he could grab Hongbin and tap the tracking chip embedded into the fabric of his jacket, right over his heart.

“Sanghyuk!” Hongbin almost yells, stumbling forwards while the two grapple on the ground. The other candidate is larger and beefier, but Sanghyuk has quite of bit of muscle bulk on him as well, and he’s smarter with his punches. He lands one squarely on the guy’s face before slapping him over the chest, setting off the tracking chip. It buzzes loudly and flashes red, disqualifying him from the training activity.

“Ugh,” the guy groans, and Sanghyuk sits up, expression thunderous.

“You deserved that,” he said savagely, but as he tries to stand, his left leg buckles beneath him. If Hongbin hadn’t rushed forwards to grab him, Sanghyuk would’ve fallen over.

“Easy,” Hongbin says urgently. “Let me see that.”

“No,” Sanghyuk protests, but Hongbin pushes the younger’s hands away and touches Sanghyuk’s ankle gingerly. His brows furrow at once.

“That’s definitely a sprain,” Hongbin frowns. “Might break if we don’t get you to medical.”

“No way,” Sanghyuk snaps, glaring up at Hongbin as best he could in the darkness. “I’m fine— ohhh, _fuuuck_ —”

“What did I just say,” Hongbin groans, grabbing Sanghyuk around the middle again. “We are going to get that checked.”

“I’m fine,” Sanghyuk protests. “We need to finish the training mission—”

Hongbin flares his nostrils angrily. “Not when you’re going to ruin your leg further!” he yells, and Sanghyuk stares at him. But before he could say anything else, another figure suddenly materializes out of the dark next to them.

“Well, this is interesting,” the young man says, flashing all three of them a sharp smile. Hongbin swallows, suddenly nervous. It was N, the field agent who’s been running all the training program for the Kingsman candidates, and someone they definitely did not want to piss off. “Medical it is, Mister Han, you’re in no shape to continue the exercise like this.”

Hongbin had never seen so much dismay concentrated onto a single person’s face, and his heart lurched. “I’ll bring him,” he said at once, and N turned to him with an arched brow. Hongbin stared right back, ignoring Sanghyuk’s hiss if _no, what are you saying?_

“You are aware that you will fail this training exercise if you withdraw now, right, Hongbin?”

“Yeah,” Hongbin answers. “Can we go? His ankle is starting to swell.”

A secretive little smile quirks the corner of N’s mouth, and he jerks his chin back to the mansion. “Off you go. I’ll leave Sanghyuk in your capable hands. And as for you…”

His eyes drop to the cheating candidate, who pales visibly, even in the dark, but Hongbin doesn’t stick around long enough to figure out what will happen next. He’s got Sanghyuk’s arm over hi shoulder, and the two of them are hobbling away as fast as they can.

+

“You shouldn’t have given up the training,” Sanghyuk scowls, glowering at the swollen foot propped up on the pillow at the end of the bed. Hongbin sighs and adjusts the ice pack before stripping the gloves off his hands. He tossed them into the bin and dropped into the seat next to the bed, meeting Sanghyuk’s expression fairly.

“And you shouldn’t have dropped out of that tree to save me,” he replies.

“That guy was ready to tackle you down!” Sanghyuk yells, and then he slumps back on his pillows, sulking. “Sorry for caring, god.”

Hongbin bites back a small laugh and scoots forwards instead, placing a comforting hand on Sanghyuk’s arm.

“For what it’s worth,” he says, serious. “Thank you. For looking out for me.”

Sanghyuk’s lips are set in what might be a pout, but he’d never admit it. Finally, after a second’s worth of brooding, he mumbles back with red cheeks: “You know I’ll always look out for you.”

Hongbin’s grin is wide when he sneaks his hand further down and laces their fingers together. “Of course,” he chuckles, and tries not to let too much of his excitement show when Sanghyuk squeezes their hands together. Neither of them really take much notice to the door that opens slightly, and then closes once more, giving them back the privacy they both had in the medical ward.

+

“Well, good news is, there’s not lasting damage,” N announces to the room at large, and Ken puffs out a breath of relief. Leo inclines his head as well, eyes solemn as they listen to the N’s recap of their Kingsman candidate choices.

“Will you still fail them for the exercise?” Ken asks, and N sighs.

“I’m afraid I have to,” he says, opening his clipboard. “Neither Hongbin or Sanghyuk finished the mission.”

“But…?” Leo prompts, sensing an unfinished sentence, and N straightens, smiling mischievously.

“But, I’m sure the bonus marks I’m about the award them for both chivalry, teamwork, and first aid achievements will be enough to carry them through this round anyway.”


	42. Ravi/Ken - Hey Pretty Young Thing (Could You Be Mine?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: my favorite song for kenvi is PHANTOM(팬텀) _ Could You Be Mine?(확신을 줘). can you please write something based on it? thanks a lot. i think this is my last prompt for you lol i feel bad for sending so many prompts~ annyeong~
> 
> 16/06/11
> 
> _[song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IiTHvstG0M/) _

The higher the towers go, the freer Wonshik feels.

Each time he steps off the lift after a dizzying climb up to the penthouse parties, there’s a blast of refreshing air conditioning that makes him shiver. The neon lights bounce off the blue-tinted walls, colours slipping and sliding off the glass and merging onto the floor, where girls danced barefoot and drops of spilled liquor dotted the edge of the dance floor.

Wonshik smiles, and steps into the room.

Taekwoon is sitting on top of one of the metal barstools with Sanghyuk, who certainly hadn’t wasted any time ordering drinks that taste a little too spicy for his tastes, but has an undeniable punch that makes him dizzy with giddiness afterwards. So he accepts the shot that he’s offered and downs it, wincing at the heat crawling down the back of his throat until the it dissolves into a pool of warmth in his stomach. He places the glass back on the bar and leans against it, sighing.

He notices that Taekwoon’s looking across the dance floor; Wonshik’s gaze follows and the new warmth that blossoms in his stomach is rapidly becoming less alcohol-related and more Jaehwan-related.

Oh, Jaehwan.

He’s a part of the trio that melds effortlessly into all the high-rise parties the youngsters with money in the city likes to throw every other night, and Wonshik’s gaze is drawn helplessly towards him each time.

Right now, Jaehwan’s moving on the dance floor, pressed tightly between Hongbin and Hakyeon, both of whom Wonshik couldn’t quite pay attention to because Jaehwan is laughing. He likes watching Jaehwan laugh, smile, talk, or just about anything he does.

“Why don’t you just go over and speak to him for once instead of just staring like a lovestruck fool?”

Wonshik jumps, cheeks reddening as he pretends to glower at Taekwoon. His friend reclines in his seat and smirks back, sneaking one of Sanghyuk’s drinks over for himself.

“I’m not staring,” Wonshik says, but a beam of red light falls in their direction, and it illuminates his face rather comedically.

“Sure, and Taekwoon’s secretly a hamster,” Sanghyuk says, nosing his way into the conversation like usual. He ignores the annoyed neck chop Taekwoon delivers and gives Wonshik a playful shove instead. “Get out there and do some actual partying, what the hell.”

“I’m doing just fine partying over here,” Wonshik protests, but Taekwoon suddenly slides off his chair, hooking an arm around Wonshik’s before pulling him right into the crowd. Wonshik flails and stumbles before Taekwoon deposits him right next to the trio and spins around, leaving him there without an explanation. Wonshik pales as the crowd pushes back in, like water filling into a bowl.

He hears a laugh on his right, and Wonshik doesn’t even want turn to look. He takes a step away, dead set on squeezing his way back out of the crowd, but there’s a hand on his wrist and a tug that draws him right back. He spins around, and his voice vanishes into the strangely strawberry-scented air as Jaehwan steps up into his personal space, beaming at him. There’s a hint of glitter dusting his nose and cheekbones, and even though Wonshik has no idea if it’s intentional or not, he’s charmed.

“Hiya,” Jaehwan shouts over the music. “Fancy seeing you again.”

“Y-yeah,” Wonshik croaks, heartbeat thrumming inside his chest. Jaehwan blinks at him, and his lashes fan over his face. A beam of light, soft lime and blueish in colour, falls over his face, and Wonshik can’t help but feel like he’s looking at Jaehwan underwater.

“You’re so stiff,” Jaehwan laughs, taking his hands. “C’mon, don’t just stand there. Dance with me again.”

And that’s the thing Taekwoon and Sanghyuk doesn’t know— when Jaehwan pulls him close and sways to the beat, Wonshik’s memory is thrown back to the first time Jaehwan walked up to Wonshik at the bar, and asked if he danced. Those eyes were blue that day, contacts distorting the usually warm brown colour, and he remembers the feel of Jaehwan’s shirt beneath his palm, the way Jaehwan shook the confetti out of his hair when the party poppers went off, and the way he spun Wonshik’s head in circles before the night came to an end.

Lips, on his cheek, accidentally catching the bit of sparkles stuck on Wonshik’s his face before Jaehwan was waving goodnight to him, a little wink as a parting gift.

He’s not bold enough to think Jaehwan would remember him again, but here they are, pressed up against the plain white wall on the other side of the room. Hands, roaming over shoulders, down to the waist, and fingertips brushing the stars out of the corner of their eyes. Someone’s set up a projector and a compilation of miscellaneous video clips are playing on the wall behind Jaehwan: slow motion of fireworks, the lights at the waterfront after dark, a rollercoaster ride into the bright blue sky. Jaehwan reclines against the clouds, looking pretty and young and beautiful when Wonshik kisses his neck. His gaze is full of amusement when he touches Wonshik’s piercing, and then takes one of his earrings out to inspect the beautiful silver gem.

“Do me a favour?” Jaehwan tells him, over the dimming of music as the night winds down to a close. “Come to the next party here again.”

“Mhm,” Wonshik nods, his motions languid. “I will.”

“Good,” Jaehwan grins, and he places a light kiss on the tip of Wonshik’s nose before he falls away, walking backwards into a crowd that swallows him whole. Grinning to himself, Wonshik walks back to the bar, where his friends are watching him, mirth in their eyes.

“Fun night?” Taekwoon asks, and Wonshik shakes his head, laughing.

“You’re not getting shit from me,” he says, and they spend a few moments play fighting and chuckling before the music begins to fade away into the walls. The people lower themselves onto the couches, sinking into the bliss of sleep as they take the elevator back downstairs.

The morning air is crisp, and the sky is blue outside, too, caught in a time before the sun rises and night fully falls away.

+

He sees Jaehwan again, a week later. His hair is curly tonight, and he’s standing with Hongbin and Hakyeon by the bar again. When he sees Wonshik walking over, a small smile on his face, Jaehwan grins broadly back, and turns his head so Wonshik can see a familiar silver stud sparkling from a new piercing in Jaehwan’s earlobe.


	43. Ravi/Ken - Welcome Me Home Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: I'm the anon from earlier back with a more specific promt! Kenvi as hades/persephone with ravi returning to the underworld for the winter and ken expressing how he missed him. (he also may have grown flowers for his husband, among other things)
> 
> 16/06/12

The descent back into the gates of the Underworld was not as terrible as they say.

Some people speculate that the temperatures must be frigid below the earth, where there is nothing but the dead to accompany you anywhere you go. Others seem to believe that one must step through rings of burning flames and battle down ferocious creatures at all turns. While Cerberus can make some people a little skittish, the giant three-headed dog is usually just all bark, and very little bite.

_But you’re forgetting the most important thing_ , the terrified voices always whispered. _Him, he’s there, that god_.

They’re not wrong about that either, Wonshik thinks to himself with a grin, because sure enough, the first person waiting to greet him at the bottom of the smooth stone steps his Jaehwan, his beautiful husband, and the Lord of the underworld.

“Hi,” Wonshik breathes, rushing forwards, and sweeps Jaehwan up in his arms. Jaehwan freezes, momentarily stunned by his enthusiastic actions, but a moment later Wonshik feels stronger arms winding around his waist. He’s lifted off his feet, and when he releases a tiny squeak of surprise, he hears Jaehwan chuckle before giving him a quick spin around.

“Welcome back,” his husband says, lowering him back down. He doesn’t move away yet; he simply holds Wonshik against him, face tucked into the crook of his neck, palms flat against the base of Wonshik’s spine. When Jaehwan finally moves back, Wonshik happily leans in and gives him a quick peck on the lips, beaming when Jaehwan blinks, expression surprisingly flustered.

“It’s good to be back,” Wonshik says, and the corner of Jaehwan’s mouth quirks upwards. He must be in a good mood, if he’s willing to openly display his joy at Wonshik’s return. They stand in front of each other for a moment, taking in each other’s appearance, and Wonshik can’t help but lament over just how long it’s been. His husband’s hair is styled differently now, though still light in colour, and he’s still fond of wearing plain and surprisingly bright clothing.

“You must be tired,” Jaehwan says abruptly, taking Wonshik’s hand in his own. “Let’s go eat.”

“Did you cook?” Wonshik teases, and Jaehwan makes a non-committal noise as they stroll down the hallway together. The stone doors slide to a close behind them, and Wonshik can’t help but think that the temperatures outside feels chillier than any part of Jaehwan’s home. It’s something he takes pride in, the careful maintenance and order of his place. Even the business with all the souls travelling down after their time on earth are done so in a proper, organized fashion. Unsurprising, though, for a god whose _hair_ is nearly never out of place.

Wonshik doesn’t mind talking to fill the silence between them— he knows Jaehwan is always listening, always curious. It’s the slight tilts of his head, the widening of his eyes, or the occasional _hmm_  and _ah_  that lets Wonshik know Jaehwan is processing his talk. He’s going on about a new port opening in one of the bays further south of the peninsula when something makes him stop abruptly in his tracks.

Flowers.

“Wonshik?” Jaehwan asks, and their joined hands jerk upwards when Jaehwan tries to walk when Wonshik isn’t following. “What’s the matter?”

Wonshik holds a finger up, sniffing the air carefully. There’s no doubt about it; there’s flowers, alright— _live_ flowers, in the _underworld_.

“What’s wrong?” Jaehwan asks again, tugging at his hand, and Wonshik turns to his husband, curioused and confused.

“Why do I smell flowers?”

Jaehwan’s expression flickers ever so slightly, and if Wonshik wasn’t so in tune with the god, he would have completely missed it.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Jaehwan answers, but that’s a lie, because someone as practical and precise with details would have definitely noticed if flowers were growing in his realm.

“There are flowers here,” Wonshik insists. “I can smell them— you can’t lie to me about _that_ , Jaehwan, I’m literally a part of nature, how can I not recognize one of my own?”

Jaehwan’s nostril flares, and he seems to struggle with his words before he lets out a long-suffering sigh, posture slumping.

“I knew you’d figure it out,” he grumbles to himself, and before Wonshik could ask him what that was supposed to mean, Jaehwan spins around and pulls Wonshik through one of the side doors. They walk briskly down a darker hallway, but at the end of the corridor is a door. Jaehwan casts it open with a flick of his wrist, and for a moment, Wonshik is completely blinded by the light that bursts from it.

But his eyes adjust immediately, and he’s jolted with shock as Jaehwan leads him into a pasture.

No— it’s not a pasture, but rather, an elegantly constructed greenhouse. Its ceiling arches high, made completely of glass, and Wonshik could see the rock and darkness beyond it. But in the room, there are four blazing bulbs that are generating so much light that Wonshik could almost mistake it for the sun. And he can immediately see why it’s necessary, because the entire room is blooming with beautiful plants and flowers.

“Did… did you build this?” Wonshik stammers, hand slipping out of Jaehwan’s as he stumbles forwards, eyes wide. There’s a burbling little brook winding through the grass, and further away is a gazebo with woven chairs and vines climbing over its pillars and a real piano, ebony black, sitting in the middle of the set.

“I did,” Jaehwan says, stepping up beside him. His stance is anxious, even if his expression isn’t. “Some of them are modified, but I think the artificial light is helping a little. The piano I brought off a mortal while in disguise, but the gazebo is of my own design. Do you… like it?” he adds, and Wonshik feels his heart caving in at the strain of insecurity in Jaehwan’s voice. “I thought you might like something to remind you of home.”

“But I am home,” Wonshik says firmly, taking Jaehwan’s hands in his own. The god’s eyebrows arch, betraying a rare moment of surprise. “I’m very fortunate, you know, to be able to live in two places at once. And I’m _especially_  thankful,” he says firmly, “That I have a husband who thinks so much of my happiness. I’m grateful, Jaehwan.”

_A terror_ , the voices above the underworld whispered, fearing for something they don’t understand. _A menace, a nightmare; don’t go back, Wonshik, you won’t be happy_.

Jaehwan’s eyes are warm when he touches Wonshik’s cheek, and grins back, heart threatening to burst out of his chest with joy.

Out of all the pretty things in the room, Jaehwan’s face when he realizes Wonshik _wants_  to return is possibly the most beautiful image of all.


	44. N/Hongbin - Little Mischief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: (any members of ur choice) members a & b are neighbors, one of them has a kid that keeps wondering over to the other's yard/house
> 
> 16/06/13

It’s a nice day out.

The sun is up, the temperature hot but not unbearable, and Hongbin’s got a day off, so of course he’s going to go out into the backyard and kick his feet up on the reclining patio chair, decked out in nothing but his swim trunks and overlarge sunglasses. He’s got a book laid out on the table (he won’t read it) and a folder full of stuff he’s supposed to look over for work (he also won’t read that), and sometimes he might catch a glimpse of his hot neighbour doing his yoga workout on the other side of the fence, but right now his iPod is full of new Park Hyoshin songs and all of the neighbourhood brats are in school, so he’s guaranteed a few hours of peaceful suntanning bliss.

At least, that’s what he thought he’d get.

Instead, Hongbin is staring in bewilderment and slowly mounting annoyance at the two kids that are, for some reason, standing beside his chair on the patio. They can’t be older than eight or nine, and one of them has a gigantic nose and the other has unruly hair that sticks up in every direction. And right now, they’re less concerned about the fact that they’re probably not in the right yard and much more interested in insulting Hongbin— because that is what’s happening, really.

“Why are you _naked_ , mister?” the one with the nose asks, and Hongbin splutters.

“I’m not naked,” he protests. “I’m wearing swimming shorts!”

“But I can see your bumpy tummy muscles and chest eyes,” the kid says, pointing unabashedly at Hongbin’s front, and he flushes bright red, slapping a hand over his chest.

“Those aren’t chest eyes, they’re called nip— wait, I’m not telling you, that’s inappropriate.”

“What’s in-a-pwop-pwiate?” the other one asks, tilting his head inquisitively, and Hongbin scowls.

“ _In-a-pro-pri-ate_ ,” he sounds out for him, and the kid sticks his tongue out. Pronunciation he might not be able to do, but he can clearly tell when he’s being mocked. “Which, incidentally, is the word that describes the two of you hanging around in my yard. Where are your parents?”

“On a plane,” Nose says at the same time the other replies, “On a boat.”

“What?” Hongbin says, staring, but before either of them could answer, he hears somebody shouting on the other side of the house.

“Jaehwan! Sanghyuk! Where are you two?”

“Oops,” the one with the abysmal hair mutters, and before Hongbin could say another word, the two kids sprint off his patio and disappear around his house faster than he could say _who?_

“What the…” he says, and can’t help but wonder if he happened to imagine the two kids in the heat of the afternoon.

The mysterious little giggles that seem to fade away into the background, no matter how hard he strains to listen for them, only perpetuate that suspicion further.

+

It’s much later into the night when the doorbell rings, and a moment later there’s the sound of a child’s laugh that follows, muffled and terrifying. So Hongbin decides that he probably can’t be blamed for opening the door with one of his old baseball bats in hand, ready to beat up whatever creepy thing might be on the other side.

But when he opens the door, it reveals his hot yoga-practicing neighbour, whose expression morphs from tired embarrassment to utter horror at the sight of Hongbin and his bat. Then, he hears two ear-piercing children’s shrieks, and looks down to see two very familiar faces pretending to cower from him behind the man’s legs. Suddenly, he’s kind of glad he has the bat.

“Uh, hey,” Hongbin says, quickly hiding the blunt object behind the door. “What a coincidence… you caught me just as I was about to, uh, go out an play baseball.”

“Oh,” the man says, startled. “Sorry, I hope I’m not keeping you. My name is Hakyeon, and I’ve just come by with my nephews because they have something they want to say to you, don’t they?” he adds, giving the two brats a pointed look.

“Not really,” the one with the hair says, and Hakyeon glowers at him.

“Be nice, Sanghyuk,” he scolds. “You and Jaehwan need to apologize for wandering into our neighbour’s backyard earlier this afternoon.”

“It was an accident,” Jaehwan complains, but Hakyeon silences them both with a firm glare. Hongbin coughs and smoothes his hand discreetly through his hair, hoping to god the humidity hasn’t turned it into a curly disaster.

“Oh- _kay_ ,” Sanghyuk groans, and he pouts up at Hongbin. “I’m sorry we walked into your yard today, mister.”

“And I’m sorry I saw your tummy muscles and chest eyes,” Jaehwan adds, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Hongbin chokes on his own breath while Hakyeon turns red and splutters incoherently.

“ _Jaehwan!_ ”

“What!” Jaehwan cries, stomping his foot. “I already said sorry! I’ll cry, uncle!”

“Oh god, don’t,” Hakyeon says, and just as Jaehwan’s expression is screwing up into what could only result in uncontrollable bawling, Hongbin hastily interrupts.

“Hey! You like popsicles?” he asks, and Jaehwan’s mouth shuts immediately. He and Sanghyuk look at once another, and they nod in unison. Hakyeon stares at him, and Hongbin scratches the back of his neck, floundering. “Um. If you two promise not to come into my yard without asking again, and if you listen to your uncle, you guys can come in and pick a colour.”

“DEAL!” the kids shout, and Hongbin casts Hakyeon a quick look. The man gives him a weak smile before ushering his nephews forwards.

“Be _nice_ ,” he warns. “And say thank you to, um…”

“Hongbin,” Hongbin say, sticking his hand out, and manages a grin when Hakyeon shakes his hand. “You can come in and grab one too, if you like.”

“Oh— sure,” Hakyeon says, smiling as he ducks his head. “If that’s not a bother.”

“It’s fine,” Hongbin assures him, fighting down his own blush, and gestures for them to come in while ignoring the way Jaehwan and Sanghyuk are looking between him and their uncle.

It’s not until he’s handed out their popsicles when Sanghyuk suddenly tugs on his pant leg, gesturing him down. Bemused, Hongbin crouches low, and Sanghyuk cups his hands around Hongbin’s ear, whispering, “Uncle’s favourite place to eat is at the sushi place next to the park, and Jaehwan says that he goes out to do yoga only when you’re outside on the chair”

Hongbin straightens, stunned, and Sanghyuk grins toothily at him, all childish mischievousness. “Kid,” Hongbin mutters gruffly. “You better not be kidding.”

Sanghyuk glares, affronted. “I pinky swear it. Cross my heart and hope to die.”

“Hm,” Hongbin says, tapping his chin as he watches Hakyeon help Jaehwan open his Spiderman popsicle. “Hey, if you can find out when your uncle has a day off, I’ll give you and Jaehwan the rest of the popsicles.”

Sanghyuk’s eyes are gleaming as he holds out his tiny (and slightly sticky) palm for a shake. Hongbin takes it, unable to hold his grin back as well.

“ _Deal._ ”


	45. Hyuk/Hongbin - Once Upon A December

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hyukbin Anastasia Au (Hyuk as Anastasia) if you've never seen the movie then please do a sleeping beauty au (Hyuk as aurora)
> 
> 16/06/18

There’s quite a bit of chatter going on inside, but it seems to pass through a muffled sort of barrier as Hongbin paces about in the little garden outside of the luxurious little house.

The lazy sounds of the afternoon Paris suburbs wash over him as his footsteps trace over the cobblestones, following its circular paths with shoes that have definitely seen better (and cleaner) days. His heart is pounding like he’d just run a marathon, making him jittery and unnaturally anxious.

Rightly so, he thinks with a ragged sigh, brushing his unruly hair out of his eyes. Hyuk, the bratty, stubborn, fiery orphan he and Jaehwan had picked up by chance, was really Sanghyuk— _his_  Sanghyuk— the beautiful prince from the palace under siege, and the lost heir to the Han throne.

His heart had sunk in the worst way when all of his and Jaehwan’s supposed ‘coaching’ had failed the last part of Cha Hakyeon’s questioning, which had been just as sharp and tight as they’d anticipated.

“Please, you must tell me: how did you escape from the palace that night?” the Empress’ attendant had asked, eyes fixated on Hyuk, who sat in the neat, navy pinstriped suit they’d splurged on at a mostly-upscale store the day before, because the limp knit sweater and clunky workboots the poor kid had been wearing throughout their whole trip certainly wouldn’t have cut it.

Jaehwan had shot a brief, desperate look at Hongbin from behind Hakyeon, but Hongbin was already slumping against the mantlepiece over the fireplace, trying to hide his own despair and his _damn_  lack of foresight. How laughable, the infamous conman finally meeting his match on the last leg of the race.

But Hyuk had simply tilted his head, his expression something Hongbin couldn’t see, but when he spoke, there was something tentative yet confident in his voice.

“There was… a boy,” he said slowly, lifting a hand to touch his chin absentmindedly. “A boy, in the castle. I remember he opened a door, in a wall… and I was able to escape, through that.”

It was like someone had closed a fist over his heart, forcing it to slam to a halt in his chest. Hongbin couldn’t help but straighten from his disheartened hunch to stare at Hyuk, now no longer trying to hide despair but rather conceal just how stunned he is, because neither he or Jaehwan had taught him that answer— Jaehwan couldn’t have, because he didn’t know, and Hongbin hadn’t either, because he’d never shared what happened the night he, a scrawny little kitchen boy, had rescued the youngest prince of the Imperial family with anybody else either.

But Hyuk didn’t need them to tell him this, because he already knew.

He was the real prince everyone had been looking for.

Footsteps jolted Hongbin from his thoughts, and he barely had time to brace himself before Jaehwan collides with him, excitement evident in his eyes as he grabs Hongbin’s shoulders.

“We did it!” he gasps excitedly. “Alright, I convinced Hakyeon to give us a little hand, because the Empress doesn’t want to see anyone else claiming they’re her lost grandson, but he agreed to do me a favour, for old times’ sake, and sneak us in for a quick introduction if we go watch the National Ballet tonight! Just think! Soon we’ll be able to grab the reward money, and oh, Hyuk’s acting was _incredible!_  The boy’s a natural!”

And Hongbin has to fight real hard to not to laugh incredulously.

+

The evening is chilly, but it’s fortunate Hakyeon had taken them all out earlier that afternoon to buy proper suits and coat for the night. It’s a fine work of art, and it’s got a nice, high collar Hongbin is currently using to bury the majority of his face into, mostly because Jaehwan’s going to start reading into every single expression he makes now that he knows the truth too.

“B-but,” Jaehwan stammers, eyes wide as he clutches at the sleeve of Hongbin’s coat. “What do you mean, you were there that night?”

“I mean it exactly as I said it,” Hongbin answers dully. “I showed the Empress and her grandson a secret doorway the servants use in the palace, and they were able to escape the guards. The prince— Hyuk— dropped that music box, and I picked it up by chance. I never thought I’d meet its real owner.”

“But then, he really _is_  the prince,” Jaehwan whispers urgently. There’s a kind of innocent wonder on his face that Hongbin thought had shriveled up inside the two of them long ago, with all the cons they’ve pulled in their lifetime, but Hyuk’s been having that kind of effect on them lately. “Binnie, do you know what this _means_? We found his family— we found him his family!”

“Yup,” Hongbin nods, and he can’t help but smile a little. “We sure did.”

“So what happens next?” Jaehwan asks, insistent. “What about you?”

It feels like the temperature has dropped quite suddenly. Hongbin shrugs, trying not to look like he’s wincing. “You’ll get reinstated into the court like you’ve always dreamed of, and I’ll walk out of all this, for good this time.”

“No,” Jaehwan says, fierce, but Hongbin shrugs him off, giving his friend a stern look.

“No nothing,” he says firmly. “We go through with this like we’ve planned, regardless of what I feel. Because,” he adds, preemptively cutting off Jaehwan’s predicted rant, which usually goes along something of _what about your happiness_  or whatever. “Long-lost princes have no interest in poor kitchen boys, Jaehwanie. Even this miracle can’t change that.”

“Bullshit,” Jaehwan snaps, expression angry. “You can’t do that, Binnie. Stop lying to yourself and face reality. Besides, this isn’t fair to Hyuk. What are you going to tell him?”

“Tell me what?” a curious voice sounds from behind them, and Hongbin whirls around, an excuse on the tip of his tongue, but his voice dies in his throat as he catches sight of the young prince standing before him.

He’s known the man was handsome before, but seeing him in the elegant suit, complete with a little bowtie, a silk handkerchief in his pocket, and a brand new watch on his wrist, Hongbin is suddenly very aware of just how beautiful of a prince Hyuk would make.

Letting go would be easier, he thinks sadly, if he wasn’t aware of the way Sanghyuk blushes subtly under his gaze, or how the younger’s eyes travelled over his own bespoke suit with admiration.

“Nothing,” Hongbin lies, stepping forwards with a smile. He doesn’t fake it, because for what it’s worth, he wants Sanghyuk to see his honesty this time, before the dream comes to an end. “You look wonderful.”

Sanghyuk grins back, bright and hopeful and everything Hongbin has ever wanted to protect.

“Thanks. You too.”


	46. Leo/Ken - A Beautiful Error

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Keo prompt where people are too scared to ask taekwoon out so they try to get jaehwan to help them. There's a misunderstanding and taekwoon now thinks he and jaehwan are a thing.
> 
> 16/06/20

Despite his best efforts, the heavy metal door slowly swinging shut behind him is still trying to let loose a high-pitched squeal similar to one of a whining dog, and Jaehwan winces when roughly ninety percent of the lecture hall and his professor turn and stare at him as he tries to tiptoe into the class.

His professor just sighs and carries on, used to Jaehwan’s tardiness this far into the semester already, and continues speaking about the sample case they’re reviewing as Jaehwan shuffles meekly into the hall. His eyes sweep desperately over the rows of available seats, which dwindled down to the row right at the very front or the last three rows in the back, and it’s just his luck that he’s left his glasses on his desk this morning, isn’t it?

A sudden buzz in his pocket startles him, and Jaehwan almost trips up the stairs as he fumbles for his phone. A familiar name flashes across the screen, and the message preview simply states: _fourth row, fifth seat from the right side_.

Jaehwan looks up, scanning the aisle, and sure enough, there’s a pair of eyes watching him from below the brim of a plain black cap as he hurries over. Taekwoon lifts his bag off the chair he’s saved as Jaehwan squeezes himself into the row and drops heavily down onto the seat, trying not to make too much noise.

“Thanks,” he whispers breathlessly to his classmate, and Taekwoon just nods, attention already dropping back onto his notebook.

He doesn’t suspect anything is amiss until they’re packing up their stuff, and Taekwoon suddenly slides his notebook over, giving Jaehwan a pointed look when he just stares at the object, confused.

“The notes you missed from the first half of lecture is on the page marked with the sticky note,” Taekwoon says, pointing at the little tab poking out of the top of the book. It’s got a cartoon cat printed on it, and it’s adorable. “Make sure you copy them properly.”

“Oh. Gee, thanks,” Jaehwan says gratefully, picking the book up. “Are you sure?”

“Just don’t loose my notes,” Taekwoon replies, the corner of his mouth twitching, and then he’s gone, headed off to his politics rhetoric class while Jaehwan scrambles to shove his pens back into his bag before the stats class pouring in for the next block of lectures runs him over.

+

Taekwoon texts him again just as he’s about to get lunch, asking him if he’d like to meet up at the food court on the north side of campus. Jaehwan’s momentarily torn between saying yes and no, because the love letter he was supposed to pass on to Taekwoon from this chick in their shared comparative politics class, but like a whole bunch of other things he’d forgotten to grab this morning, the little envelope remains on his desk. At the same time, Jaehwan’s also a little less inclined to play postman between his classmates now just because the lot of them can’t get past Taekwoon’s default poker face. If they were so afraid of Taekwoon, why bother _asking_  him out in the first place? Isn’t that just counter-productive, if you can’t even end up looking your own boyfriend in the eye?

It takes him about two seconds to deliberate and another moment to fire back a _yeah for sure!! (/^▽^)/_  and stroll cheerfully up to where Taekwoon said he’d be sitting. Sure enough, he’s already surrounded by a huge tray of food, and Jaehwan’s eyes bug out of his head as he flops onto the booth opposite him.

“Are you seriously going to eat _all_  of that?”

Taekwoon actually pauses his unstoppable food consumption for a moment to give Jaehwan a funny look.

“No,” he says, sounding a little miffed. “I brought some for you too. Eat.”

“You— you what?” Jaehwan stutters, completely surprised. “Why?”

Taekwoon gives him another funny look as he pushes a bowl of stew towards him, like he’s questioning why Jaehwan would rather talk than eat. “Given how late you were to class this morning, I seriously doubt you had breakfast. Now eat.”

“Well. Yeah,” Jaehwan admits, picking up the plastic spoon. “But— but why buy me food? You didn’t have to.”

Taekwoon looks at him strangely, and it takes Jaehwan a moment to realize that it’s not so much looking, but rather a shy flickering of back-and-forths from his food to Jaehwan’s face. Jaehwan is seriously wondering if he’s missing something, until Taekwoon tugs his cap lower over his red face and mutters, “Isn’t that what people do when they date? Look after each other?”

Jaehwan’s jaw drops open of its own accord.

Oh.

_Oh_.

Oh?!

“D-dating?” he squeaks, and Taekwoon huffs, giving him an exasperated and embarrassed look.

“I know you heard me, and I’m not saying it again.”

“Us,” Jaehwan says, gesturing between the two of them, and he feels the heat rising in his cheeks. This was definitely not what he’d expected, but then again, he had been the only person handing letter after letter expression repeated confessions to Taekwoon over a period of a few weeks, to say the least. And he strongly suspects Taekwoon is a selective reader who orients quite a bit around stuff he cares about, period. “We’re— oh, wow. This is— wow.”

“Don’t make me feed you that stew,” Taekwoon jabs, clearly done with Jaehwan’s stammering. But there’s a playful glint in his eye as he adds, “You won’t like it.”

“You don’t have to,” Jaehwan answers hastily, quickly shovelling a bite into his mouth. “Look, I’m eating.”

“Good,” Taekwoon says, satisfied, and turns back to his own meal happily.

Jaehwan sucks thoughtfully on his spoon as he watches his senior across from him, completely oblivious to the total misunderstanding that’s happened as he shakes a bottle of iced coffee. Taekwoon thinks they’re dating, and Jaehwan has a feeling the other is taking it a lot more seriously than he’s letting on. He’d probably be mortified if Jaehwan told him the truth.

But then again, Jaehwan thinks, mind travelling back to the heaps of superficial letters on his desk, this might be the opportunity to save them the hassle of ever dealing with those damned letters from spineless wimps that won’t even go ask Taekwoon himself. 

He deserves better than that, Jaehwan decides, in a way that’s wholly impulsive and just screams _Lee Jaehwan’s Hasty, Unplanned, and Extremely Serendipitous Decisions_. And even if he’s not boyfriend material right now, well, let it not be said that he does anything half-assedly, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

“What are you grinning about?” Taekwoon asks, jolting him from his thoughts, and Jaehwan grins, shrugging.

“Oh, nothing,” he replies, and cheerfully places a piece of meat from his stew onto Taekwoon’s plate.


	47. OT6 - All Day, I Only Think Of You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hello! ot6, Hyuk-centric. Prompt is based on the song by 2pm called "A.D.T.O.Y". Everyone is taken by Hyuk. canonverse(?) Ahhhhh 47 prompts thats amazing :OOO have fun
> 
> 16/06/20

Company parties are great in the sense that it can either go very formally, or take a U-turn and plunge right into absolute chaos before anybody could really stop it. Toss some kind of year-end festivity into the mix, along with an open bar, really loud music, and a hoard of young entertainers that don’t even drink soda on certain days and there’s definitely going to be funny stories the morning after.

“No offence,” Hakyeon says, looking a little grumpy and red-faced despite the bare minimum of drinks he’s had, “but Sanghyuk really needs to roll his sleeves back down.”

“I agree,” Hongbin adds, in one of those rare instances that he really loudly and verbally shows some form of consensus with Hakyeon. The two of them are looking towards the bar, where Sanghyuk is picking through all the choices amongst a throng of people that were probably permanently glued to the counter by now.

“Why?” Jaehwan squawks, shrugging a sleepy Taekwoon off his shoulder. “Those forearms are a gift from god, I don’t know why you’d ever want to cover that up.”

“Exactly,” Hakyeon answers, and he sounds pained, but it might be because Hongbin has accidentally stepped on his foot while trying to grab a bowl of snacks. “Have you ever seen so much muscle definition in _just_  the forearm? The hell. It’s obscene.”

“Only you would use words like _obscene_  when you’re drunk,” Wonshik mumbles, thumbing at the neck of his bottle. Condensation runs along the glass, slippery beneath his touch, and Jaehwan tugs at the collar of his shirt with a whine.

“God, it’s stifling in here. Way too many people.”

“Shut up and drink,” Hongbin cajoles, nudging Jaehwan with his foot.

“Don’t encourage him,” Hakyeon complains. “Then he’ll be drunk _and_  whiny.”

“Isn’t he always?” Sanghyuk’s voice pipes up as the youngest suddenly returns, a tray in one hand and more bottles in the other. Hongbin and Hakyeon are apparently too slow in retracting their feet for his liking, because Sanghyuk simply sets the bottles down onto the coffee table and lifts a long leg and steps over their knees, showing off the stretch of fabric over his thighs before his foot touches the floor on the other side. Hongbin makes an alarmed noise, one not that unlike a kettle about to boil over, and Hakyeon drops his head back onto the sofa, gaze fixed anywhere but Sanghyuk’s ass in front of him. Jaehwan’s laughing, the asshole, until Sanghyuk loses his balance and grabs onto Jaehwan’s leg to anchor himself, grunting.

Jaehwan chokes, flinching in shock when Sanghyuk’s fingers tighten on his upper leg, but then Sanghyuk’s pushing himself back up, grinning sheepishly as he sidesteps a woozy Taekwoon and flops into the empty spot between Wonshik and Jaehwan.

“Alright, who wanted the shots?”

“Me,” Taekwoon actually manages to pipe up, and Hakyeon makes a noise of disagreement.

“No, Taekwoon, you are definitely _not_  drinking anymore.”

“Unfair,” Taekwoon glowers, sitting upright in a very unsteady fashion. Jaehwan snorts and eases him back against the edge of the sofa, so he wouldn’t fall off the darn thing.

“Well, it’s here anyway,” Sanghyuk shrugs, hanging one of the tiny glasses to Wonshik. “Want it?”

“Er,” Wonshik says dubiously, inspecting the clear liquid. “I’m guessing this isn’t the fruity type I like.” He tosses the drink back, and his expression scrunches up terribly, garnering a collective laugh around the table. “Oh, fuck, that is definitely not the fruit.”

“Wimp,” Sanghyuk teases, and he tips his head back as he swallows his shot in a single gulp, the sharp line of his jaw accentuated by the long shape of his neck. His Adam’s apple bobs at the quick swallow, and Jaehwan next attempt to bring the rim of his glass up to his lips misses by a long shot. Hakyeon actually looks pained.

“Who taught you how to drink like that?” Hongbin demands, pointing vaguely in Sanghyuk’s direction. The slur in his speech is surprising, though there’s a high chance he might’ve simply kept on drinking to distract himself from looking at Sanghyuk for too long.

“No one,” Sanghyuk smirks, placing the empty glass back on the table, and looks over at Wonshik, who’s staring down at his own glass with a zoned-out expression. “God, you guys, are you finished already? It’s barely past midnight, don’t tell me I have to start bringing you guys coffee and fruit snacks.”

“Black, no sugar,” Taekwoon immediately says, and droops over Jaehwan’s lap with a groan. Sanghyuk laughs, stretching his arms over his head, and the front of his shirt untucks every so slightly, riding up his front as he arches his back.

“Seriously, I’m going to be the only one left drinking. You guys are party poopers.”

“We’re responsible drinkers,” Hakyeon insists, but he’s got his head cradled in the palm of his hand.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll be back,” Sanghyuk snickers, and he’s standing up for the second time that night. He pats Wonshik on the head as he walks past, headed towards the coffee makers at the refreshment table in the back now, and everyone seems to breathe a collective sigh of relief around the table.

“Should’ve acted scarier from the start,” Taekwoon says, face mushed against Jaehwan’s thigh. “Now he’s sexy and we’re suffering for it.”

“Amen,” Wonshik groans, and it’s a mark of how hard they’ve all fallen when the rest of them could only nod in utter agreement at the most intoxicated member’s punch-drunk observation.


	48. Ravi/Hyuk - For You To See

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: hehe I've turned on notifications for your blog so I don't miss any prompts ^_^ here's one: hyuk and ravi are so manly and tough but they soften up around each other
> 
> 16/06/26

The tap was running in the bathroom as Wonshik backed into the dressing room, nodding and bowing to each of the staff members he passed, exchanging thank you’s for a successful day of photoshoots and efficient work. That probably isn’t doing anything good for his slightly sore neck, but that’s mostly because of the awkward leaning pose he’d had to hold for the last hour or so. The sound of the water shuts off just as Wonshik closes and locks the door, sighing in relief as peaceful silence washes over him.

“Oh, you’re back.”

He turns just as Sanghyuk strolls out of the bathroom, face damp, hair mussed, and still shirtless.

“Yeah,” Wonshik nods, dropping his phone and charger onto the counter as Sanghyuk walks past, fingertips brushing against the length of his forearm. “Are you done in there?”

“Help yourself,” Sanghyuk calls cheerfully over his shoulder as he bends to lift his duffle bag out of the way. Wonshik watches the muscles on his boyfriend’s back and arm flex impressively, evidence of the younger’s hard work at the gym lately, and he turns quickly away, snatching up his bag before hurrying into the bathroom.

It takes a while to remove the bit of makeup on his face and wash up— by the time Wonshik is finished his hair is wet around the front and his face is refreshed, like Sanghyuk’s. When he strolls back into the dressing room, Sanghyuk has changed out of the tight jeans and has tossed on a gigantic, comfy green sweater to go with his sweatpants (old ones, judging by the tread-on hem and the faint hole in the inseam). He’s lounging on the sofa, headphones in his ears and looking at something on his phone until Wonshik shrugs off the flimsy jacket the staff gave him and tossed it aside.

“What?” he protests when Sanghyuk reclines against the back of the sofa and drops his elbow onto the armrest, propping his chin up with the flat of his palm as his eyes trail over Wonshik’s bare chest.

“I haven’t said anything,” Sanghyuk says innocently, even though the glint in his eye says completely otherwise.

“Stop that,” Wonshik whines, fumbling through his bag for his clothes, which seems to have burrowed themselves right at the bottom of his bag, under all the other stuff crammed inside.

“Stop what?” Sanghyuk asks, widening his eyes while his lips form the cutest pout Wonshik has ever seen. This kid, he thinks despairingly, he’s got the kicked puppy look down to an art.

“Quit  _ogling_ ,” Wonshik replies pointedly, undoing his belt buckle as he speaks, and Sanghyuk finally breaks out into a grin, waggling his eyebrows for good measure.

“What’s the point of dating if I can’t admire just how handsome you look?”

“You’re making fun of me,” Wonshik groans, slipping out of his jeans as quickly as possibly, and turns bright red the moment Sanghyuk whistles at him.

“How’d I get so _lucky_ ,” the younger sighs, batting his eyelashes as Wonshik snorts and pulls out his own clothes. Softer, well-worn jeans that didn’t fit as tightly as the ones he’d modelled in and a loose-fitting polo shirt, made comfy and broken into after all those rounds in the washer.

“I think you need your eyes checked,” Wonshik advises, hanging up the clothes onto the coat rack before pulling out the bag of trail mix— might as well have something to munch on while they wait for their manager to come pick them up. Sanghyuk waves him over to the sofa and Wonshik doesn’t hesitate to flop down onto the cushy seat and lean comfortably against Sanghyuk’s chest, relaxing when he feels his boyfriend’s arm wrap around his shoulders and pull him closer. He angles his phone with his other hand up for Wonshik to see, and he nearly chokes in surprise.

“Why are you sneaking pictures of my photos,” he complains loudly, and Sanghyuk laughs like the cheeky brat that he is, but rubs Wonshik’s arm soothingly anyway.

“I asked someone to get pictures of mine too, so we’re even,” he says smugly, swiping through each photo for Wonshik to see. There are shots of himself, lounging on the floor against the edge of a much nicer sofa than the one they’re sitting on now, his stare hard and his hand resting against the flat of his stomach as the expensive watch they’re modelling for glints in the light. A few more swipes, and it’s Sanghyuk, also shirtless and leaning against a bathroom counter with his hand artfully poised on the marble so that it showcased another version of the watch perfectly. The Sanghyuk in the photo is looking at the viewer through the mirror, making eye contact through a heavy-lidded gaze and immaculate make-up, and Wonshik’s breath hitches in his throat at the sight. Then it’s photos of them together, close-ups of the two of them in the midst of an apparent arm-wrestling match. Metal flashes from their wrists and the view is a mixture of the incredible flex of Sanghyuk’s bicep versus the line of Wonshik’s forearm with the tension and heated concentration between their gaze, all packed into one rectangular shot.

“Looks good, doesn’t it,” Sanghyuk prompts, his thumb rubbing soft circles against the top of Wonshik’s arm. Wonshik nods, drumming his fingers against Sanghyuk’s thigh.

“I like them all, really. You look amazing.”

“Shut up,” Sanghyuk laughs, reflexively deflecting, and Wonshik grins because he knows beneath all that bluster and goofiness, Sanghyuk is just as affected by his compliments.

“How’d _I_  get so lucky,” he shoots back, and Sanghyuk ducks his head, making Wonshik laugh when he realizes Sanghyuk is actually shying away from him. “Dummy,” he adds, tilting his face up so his lips could press against the soft skin of Sanghyuk’s cheek.

And because Sanghyuk is just as much of a softie as he is, the next kiss Wonshik gets is an endearingly sweet and gentle one on his lips.


	49. Hyuk/Ken - I'm Ready To Get Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: shameless nsfw hyuken based off [these pics](http://paetoi.tumblr.com/post/144560953958/160517-busan-fansign-holkia-do-not-edit/)?
> 
> 16/06/28
> 
> *nsfw

The way Sanghyuk’s fingers curled around Jaehwan’s wrist was a soft, loose hold, contrary to the heavy metal cuffs digging into his skin just below the jutting bone at the juncture between his arm and his hand. He kept his gaze fixated on a spot in the other side of the hall, heart leaping up into his throat with each second that dragged on.

“I’m just saying,” Sanghyuk’s voice sounds from above, calm despite the tense situation. “That a death penalty seems a bit heavy for a soldier who simply entered a segregated area of the palace that he wasn’t allowed in.”

“You know we take the matters of the empire’s security severely, General Han,” the slow, reedy voice of the Senator says informatively, and he can imagine the old man peering up at Sanghyuk through his tiny glasses. “We cannot afford mistakes at this critical time.”

“And fostering strong bonds between the soldiers and their leaders is also an important aspect,” Sanghyuk counters. “If word got out about how _cruel_ we are to our own _people_ …”

An uncomfortable murmur passes through the assistants, and the Senator clears his throat. Sanghyuk chuckles humourlessly.

“Well, I’m sure their faith in us wouldn’t hold for very long. We’re already on very fragmented terms with them because of the former emperor’s oppressive regime.”

“Watch your words, General,” another man warns, and Sanghyuk laughs.

“I’m simply repeating what the population is saying. An execution would not benefit us in any way right now.”

Jaehwan’s knees are starting to ache against the stone floor. He swallows, and hears the old Senator ask incredulously, “What _are_  you suggesting, General Han?”

“Well, my division of soldiers is already considered the group of misfits in the whole army anyway,” Sanghyuk says. “Can’t hurt for me to take in another disgraced soldier, right? I can keep an eye on him, and if anything else were to happen, I’ll take responsibility for it.”

Jaehwan’s arms are weak from their position in the air for so long, but at this point, he’s not sure if it’s because of fatigue or Sanghyuk’s words.

“How do we know you can control him?” someone else asks, and Sanghyuk pauses. Then, he steps in front of Jaehwan, hand slipping off Jaehwan’s wrist. He bends slightly, grasping Jaehwan’s chin in a tight grip before jerking his face up. Jaehwan swallows tightly, looking unblinkingly into Sanghyuk’s eyes.

“Do you want to live, soldier?” Sanghyuk asks, voice harsh, and Jaehwan nearly withdraws in shock. But Sanghyuk’s grip is strong, keeping him in place, so he nods. Sanghyuk’s fingers tighten, and he jerks Jaehwan’s face to the side without warning, redirecting his gaze towards the stunned group standing with the Senator a few feet away.

“These are the people that want to kill you,” Sanghyuk says coldly, and Jaehwan barely has time to recover before Sanghyuk pulls him back. “And I,” he continues, voice suddenly feather light, “Want to give you a second chance. So I’ll ask again: do you want to live, _soldier_?”

The word seems to echo in Jaehwan’s head, and he trembles involuntarily.

_You are a part of the next batch of soldiers we will send to infiltrate the empire’s armies. You must do your best to aid the works of our most successful spy. You will respond when the rebellion begins. Your intentions… must not be discovered._  

“Please,” he chokes out, and sees something flicker in Sanghyuk’s eyes. “Please… _please_.”

Sanghyuk’s gaze hardens minutely before he straightens, hand falling away from Jaehwan’s face as he grasps him below the elbow, lifting him to shaking legs.

“I trust we’ll have no problems from now on,” he says calmly to the stunned Senator, and spins them around, drawing Jaehwan away from the hall without another word.

+

“Sit,” Sanghyuk says, pushing Jaehwan onto the edge of his own bed— his quarters were surprisingly small, but that might have just been Sanghyuk’s preference. He’d grown up in the tiny, grubby brick houses crumbling in the outer districts of the empire across the road from Jaehwan’s. He still remembers peeking out of the hole in the wall each morning to see Sanghyuk waving at him through the hole in his, a childish grin on his face and tiny, dirty hands clutched around the stone.

The same hands, now much bigger and tanner, are fumbling with the cuffs on his wrists until the key clicks and the metal falls away. Sanghyuk sighs, pushing them off Jaehwan’s lap, and Jaehwan doesn’t stop to think. He surges forwards, throwing his arms around Sanghyuk’s neck, startling a yelp from the younger. Jaehwan seals their mouths together, kissing Sanghyuk furiously, relief and desperation pouring from him as Sanghyuk staggers forwards under his weight. They tip over, and Jaehwan grunts as he falls onto Sanghyuk’s bed, only to groan when Sanghyuk climbs on top of him and kisses him back. Memories he’d kept of their youth, of soft kisses between wide smiles and Sanghyuk’s warm lips trailing down his skin while they laid in the grassy meadows melt away as they they strip off their clothes in a haste. Sanghyuk’s hands instantly brackets his hips and Jaehwan lets his legs fall open without a thought, except for maybe the lover he never thought he’d see again after Sanghyuk was sent in to infiltrate the imperial army before himself.

“I thought—” Sanghyuk pants later, his voice ragged as he thrusts into Jaehwan, uniform discarded somewhere on the other end of the bed, with sweat gleaming on his chest. “You would die— I thought they would execute you—”

Jaehwan chokes on his breath and arches his back, but Sanghyuk doesn’t let up. He’s dizzy and his heartbeat is out of control, but when he fumbles for something to hold on to, Sanghyuk catches his hands and places them on his face, letting Jaehwan stroke his cheeks as he gasps out a litany of _I’m close I’m close I’m close_.

“Don’t ever do that again,” Sanghyuk pleads, and Jaehwan sobs as he comes, toes curling, voice caught in his throat. “Don’t be reckless— Jaehwan— _I love you_.”

He thinks he might’ve given himself whiplash when Sanghyuk’s hand closes around his cock, jerking him off again. All the while, his thrusts don’t stop, and Jaehwan has a feeling Sanghyuk intends to make up for all the lost time between them. That’s fine, because there’s nothing he wants more either.

Sanghyuk’s hands, on him.

Sanghyuk’s lips, covering his neck with kisses and bites.

Sanghyuk’s presence, dominating all of his senses, and finally letting him know it isn’t a dream, because the Sanghyuk in his arms holds him and loves him and doesn’t fade away when Jaehwan opens his eyes again.


	50. N/Ken - Angel On Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: hakyeon as a radio dj and jaehwan as his loyal fan who fell in love with hakyeon's voice; hakyeon gets really happy when this fan calls because he always has the funniest stories and sounds so cute
> 
> 16/06/28

“Hiya,” a familiar voice sounds through his headphones, and Hakyeon can already feel a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he straightens in his chair.

“Hello,” he replies cheerfully, propping his chin up on his hand as he leans towards the microphone. “Now who might this caller be?”

 “Aw, you’re breaking my heart now, Hakyeon,” the voice jokes on the other end, and Hakyeon laughs.

“Well, for the sake of some new listeners, why don’t you introduce yourself to them?” he asks, and it’s partially because he has to ask the same question for every caller that calls in during the Re:Quiz & Re:Quest segment, but also because he’ll never get tired of hearing Jaehwan introduce himself in the silliest way possible for Hakyeon’s entertainment.

“Hi, fellow listeners of our favourite lead vocal’s radio program,” Jaehwan says brightly. “I’m Lee Jaehwan, Jelly Triangle’s cutest fan! Kyu!”

Hakyeon grins as he watches the live feed of the comments section begins to pick up pace on the monitor, as it usually does whenever Jaehwan calls in. Most of his group’s fans or his listeners are already familiar with Jaehwan, since it’s already rare enough for a male idol group to have such a hardcore male fan, let alone a hardcore male fan that calls in every day, even if it might not be for the quizzing segment.

“Kyu indeed. Are you ready for the question, Jaehwan?”

“You bet I am,” Jaehwan replies, and Hakyeon grins, looking down at his script.

“Now, for those of you who might be tuning in for the first time, it’s time for our Re:Quiz & Re:Quest segment, where callers are quizzed on their knowledge on the group I’m a part of, Jelly Triangle. Now, if you’re chosen, you’ve got two choices: pick an easier question that I’ll ask of you today, or answer the question I gave away at the end of the show yesterday, which is a little harder. If you pick the easier question and get it right, you can request a song. But if you can answer that harder question correctly, you’re allowed to share a story on air, and you’ll also get to request a song that we’ll queue first during the music segment. Each caller will have their name entered into a draw, and at the end of the month we’ll select a lucky winner who’ll receive a polaroid photo of a member of their choosing. Now, which question would you like to pick, Jaehwan?”

“You know me,” Jaehwan says confidently. “Yesterday’s ‘goodnight listeners’ question, please.”

“Perfect,” Hakyeon hums, turning the page. “I’m sure you’ll do well. Now, for the question: in 2015, Taekwoonie— that’s our main vocalist, Leo— collaborated with our rapper Ravi again and for the release of Jelly Triangle’s second full album. Can you name the song, or _songs_ , the two of them wrote and produced by the members?”

“Ooh,” Jaehwan says, sounding excited. “That’s tricky,” he adds, and Hakyeon pretends to gasp.

“Don’t tell me that’s the question that finally stumped you _now_?”

“Oi,” Jaehwan complains at once, sounding indignant. “I just said it was tricky, not that I’m stumped. The _songs_  Leo and Ravi wrote and produced together are _Beautiful Liar_ , _Remember_ , and _My Light_.”

Hakyeon is beaming as he reaches for the xylophone and happily taps out the melody celebrating Jaehwan’s success. “Perfect!” he says. “Impressively on top of your quiz questions, as usual—”

“Wait,” Jaehwan interrupts, and Hakyeon skids to a halt in surprise. “There’s one more.”

“Is there?” Hakyeon asks, confused. He flips uselessly through his script, which of course doesn’t have an answer to this deviation, and then leans towards the microphone. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you said if you could name the songs written and produced by the members,” Jaehwan says, bright. “If that’s the criteria, then wouldn’t the song _Sunshine_  be one of them as well?”

“Uh,” Hakyeon blinks. “It— well—”

“Leo didn’t write the song, but in the booklet, Ravi credits you for co-writing the lyrics. And you said the _members_ ,” Jaehwan adds, cheeky. “That means it’s not limited to only Leo and Ravi’s songs, right?”

That certainly hadn’t been an answer he was expecting. It takes Hakyeon a second to gather himself, and then he stammers, “Well, yes, Wonshikkie did put my name down as well, b-but it’s not a large portion of the song, you know, so I wouldn’t count it, per se—”

“Nonsense,” Jaehwan interrupts calmly. “I think you did a great job. The lyrics were moving and sweet. Of course you should count it.”

And for the first time since he began his job at the radio station, Hakyeon finds himself speechless on air. Meanwhile, the comments on the monitor are blowing up; a cluster of _Jaehwannie is right!!_  to _Sunshine is one of my favourite songs, but I didn’t know you wrote part of the lyrics too, Hakyeon! You’re amazing!!_ and _Whoaaa, I’m so impressed_.

He snaps himself out of his daze when he realizes he hadn’t replied, and Hakyeon stumbles over himself as he speaks. “I— t-thank you, Jaehwan. That’s really nice of you to say.”

“I’m just telling the truth,” Jaehwan answers brightly. “So? Did I get them right, mighty radio DJ?”

“What? Oh, yes. Yes, of course,” Hakyeon laughs weakly, pressing a hand to his chest. His heart is racing, so so fast. “Congratulations! We’ll enter your name for the monthly draw, and you’re welcome to share your story and choose the song you want played today.”

“I know my request already,” Jaehwan says at once. “Sunshine, if you please. It’s my favourite song.”

“Oh, goodness,” Hakyeon bursts out, covering his face as he stifles his chuckles. Jaehwan was too much, really.

“What!” Jaehwan shouts, playfully defensive. “I love your voice in that song. I mean, I love the rap and Leo’s parts too, but I like your singing a lot.”

“I am turning red,” Hakyeon says, quite frank. “Enough of your talk! Get on with the story!”

“Aw, Jelly Leader is bashful,” Jaehwan teases, and Hakyeon almost rolls off his chair. The comments section is going _insane_. “Alright, I’ll spare you for now. Anyway! Here’s a story about my two favourite co-workers. We’ll call them Binnie and Hyukkie, for legal purposes, probably. Guys, if you’re listening, don’t sue my butt.”

That startles another round of involuntary laughter from Hakyeon, and it takes him at least a few seconds before he could regain his composure and prompt Jaehwan to continue.

He really does love this kind fan of his.


	51. N/Hyuk - Press Your (Wrong) Number

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: wrong number au for chasang pls!
> 
> 16/07/06

“Hello, you’ve reached the social studies department, Cha Hakyeon speaking, what can I do for you?”

Sanghyuk blinks, a forkful of his kale salad frozen halfway to his mouth, and then lifts the phone away from his ear, staring at it. When he places the earpiece back against his ear, he hears the unfamiliar male teacher’s voice on the other end again.

“Hello? Hello, anyone there?”

“Er, hi,” Sanghyuk says, lowering his fork. “I’m looking for Mr. Kim from the music department…?”

“Ah,” the teacher named Hakyeon on the other end says, and he chuckles. “Right. We haven’t gotten around to sending the memo out yet, but the social sciences and music departments have swapped offices. Wonshikkie is working from the first floor now.”

“O-oh,” Sanghyuk stammers, embarrassment making him cringe. “Sorry about that. Um, would you happen to know which number that actually is?”

“Sure,” Hakyeon replies, and there’s a bit of shuffling before he answers again. “The extension is 132.”

“Thanks a bunch,” Sanghyuk says quickly, scribbling the number down on his notepad.

“Not a problem,” Hakyeon answers, voice smooth as silk. “Who might this be, by the way?”

“Me? Uh, I’m Sanghyuk. Han Sanghyuk. I’m the new media arts teacher.”

“ _Oh!_ ” Hakyeon exclaims, quite suddenly, and Sanghyuk almost jumps away from the receiver again. “You’re Hyukkie! Wonshik’s little brother!”

“N-not in the literal sense,” Sanghyuk whines at once, and he immediately feels like face palming. God, just because he looked up to Wonshik as a kid and followed him all the way to teaching school doesn’t mean the sappy dolt can go around broadcasting that. He can almost visualize his best friend skipping around the building, ducking into the open doorways of staff rooms to hold up a picture of Sanghyuk on his phone before gushing at length about his his precious kid ‘brother’ is coming to teach at the same school he works at.

Hakyeon chuckles again on the other end, sounding incredibly amused. “Don’t worry, he did mention that he just used to be the babysitter who hung out with you after school and made sure you ate your veggies—”

“I swear to _god_ ,” Sanghyuk groans, covering his face with his hands, and the bright laughter continues on the other end.

“You’re funny,” Hakyeon compliments, and then he says, “Hey, when’s your lunch break anyway?”

“Lunch? I’m taking it right now,” Sanghyuk says, casting a look at his salad. His roommate Hongbin had gone crazy trying out new fertilizers on his vegetable garden, and now their flat was overrun by all kinds of greenery and their only hope of getting out the door alive was to eat liberal amounts of various leafy products each day.

“Are you really? Awesome! I’m off right now too, I’ll come visit.”

“Wait, what?” Sanghyuk gapes, but Hakyeon simply calls out, “I’ll see you in five!” before he hangs up and the line goes dead. Bewildered, Sanghyuk holds the receiver away from him again and stares for a long, hard second before putting it back in its cradle. Suddenly, he’s very wary about who he might meet.

The staff room is empty, thankfully, so nobody heard him and his embarrassingly confusing conversation, but now Sanghyuk almost wishes someone in the arts department has the same lunch as he does. He has no idea who this Hakyeon person is, but judging by their short second conversation it’s evident that one, he’s close with Wonshik (which means he would’ve already gotten to see all the terrible baby photos Wonshik kept of him) and two, he’s just as weird as all of Wonshik’s other friends are.

Sanghyuk’s so lost in thought he nearly misses the crisp knock on his door before a young man strides confidently in, a bright smile on his face. The first thing Sanghyuk notices is that the man is shockingly handsome, which is probably the final blow that knocks his poor, confused brain right out of the ring. How in the world the kids in this guy’s class can pay any attention to anything he says is a mystery, because not only is Mister Cha Hakyeon dressed in the fittest slacks Sanghyuk’s ever seen, he’s wearing a rather nice pink shirt, rolled up at the sleeves and slightly undone at the collar. His lanyard has kittens on it, and his teacher’s ID is tucked into the breast pocket, where he has a pen tucked alongside a fresh daisy, as though wearing flowers to a day job is an everyday occurrence. Hakyeon’s hair is dyed a light brown, soft and shiny with bangs brushed neatly to the side, and his smile is so utterly charming he nearly renders Sanghyuk speechless as he walks up with his hand extended.

“Hello,” Hakyeon beams, shaking Sanghyuk’s limp hand with vigour. “My god, you’re a lot older than Wonshik made you sound.”

“He does that,” Sanghyuk blurts out, brain-to-mouth filter not quite functioning right, and Hakyeon grins.

“I know,” the social studies teacher chuckles. “He did conveniently leave out how handsome you look,” he adds, somehow managing to miss Sanghyuk’s choke of shock. “Which I’ll have to have a word with him for. But! Since I’m here anyway, why don’t we have lunch together? Nobody in my department’s around anyway, and I hate eating alone.” 

“S-sure,” Sanghyuk stammers, feeling Hakyeon’s hand linger on his. Those eyes are bright, just on the side of mischievous, and suddenly, he feels like there’s going to be a lot to learn about this man. “Let’s eat.”


	52. OT6 (Hongbin centric) - The Transformation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: OT6 where Hongbin gets sick and needs others to take care of him. (It can be fluffy or angsty, whatever you want)
> 
> 16/07/10

The abnormal summer heat seemed to leave a buzz in the back of Sanghyuk’s mind as he stretched his leg up the last flight of stairs, puffing out a short breath as he hauled himself up onto the landing. He haunches over for a moment, hands braced on his knees, with the plastic strap of the bulging shopping bag digging into his wrists. Of all days for the elevator to stop working, he groans to himself, before straightening and pulling open the door.

The hallway is a little less hot than the stairwell, but it’s nothing compared to the much lower temperatures of the dorm. Sanghyuk shivers when a blast of air conditioning whooshes down the back of his sleeveless shirt, making the hairs on his arm stand up and the sweat at the base of his neck chill instantly.

There’s the sound of footsteps, and a moment later Hakyeon steps into view. He’s got the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and a washing basin in his hands. Two towels are draped on the side, slightly damp, and Hakyeon’s hair is sticking up at the end.

“Oh, good, you’re back,” he says, and doesn’t wait for Sanghyuk to answer before bustling into the bathroom. Sanghyuk kicks off his shoes and hastens to follow.

“Yeah, I brought medication, food, and some other stuff,” he says, holding the bag open for Hakyeon’s inspection. Hakyeon glances over as he tips the water in the basin into the sink, and he nods his approval.

“Go give it to Wonshik,” he says, turning the faucet in the sink.

“Right,” Sanghyuk nods, and then glances down the hallway, towards the direction of Hongbin’s room. “How… how is he? Any better?”

Hakyeon lifts his head again, and he shrugs a helpless shoulder.

“The fever’s not high, but he’s very uncomfortable. He’s saying something about his bones and muscles hurting and aching too.”

“Oh,” Sanghyuk nods, for a lack of something to say. “Okay. I’ll go with the stuff then.”

“Mhm,” Hakyeon says, and turns back to the basin as Sanghyuk busies himself hurrying down the hall.

Hongbin’s bedroom door was slightly ajar, and when he walks in, Hongbin’s normally clean and clutterless room is now host to three guys trying to squish themselves into one space. Wonshik and Jaehwan are seated around the floor, fiddling with some of Hongbin’s clothes restlessly, and Taekwoon is sitting at the front of Hongbin’s bed on a chair, dabbing the sick member’s feverish forehead with a damp towel. Sanghyuk winces at the sight— Hongbin looks even worse than he did before Sanghyuk left. He’s sweaty, pale, and there’s an unusual flush on his neck. There are also dark bags under Hongbin’s closed eyes, and his breathing is heavy. Sanghyuk doesn’t even have to step close to know the other man’s skin is incredibly hot to the touch.

It takes him a moment to realize everyone is staring at him, and Sanghyuk quickly lifts the shopping bag up.

“Medication and other stuff,” he says again, and Wonshik immediately stands, taking the bag from him. They lower it onto Hongbin’s desk, putting aside his notebooks and writing utensils, and packaged medicine and other mostly-useful things Sanghyuk picked off the shelf at the pharmacy tumble onto the surface.

“Which one for the fever?” Jaehwan frowns, picking through various boxes, and Sanghyuk rummages around until he finds the right one. Wonshik takes it and takes it over to Taekwoon. While the two of them fumble with the instructions and bottle, Jaehwan rips open a pack of instant cold compresses and hurries over to help.

“Binnie,” Wonshik is saying. “Can you sit up?”

There’s a low groan from the bed, and Hongbin’s eyes flutter open. Sanghyuk shifts over, peeking at his friend between the gap of his friends’ bodies, and Hongbin’s eyes flashes, oddly bright, as they pass over him.

Sanghyuk blinks, but then Hongbin is taking Wonshik’s outstretched hand and being hauled upright. Taekwoon presses the little cup towards Hongbin’s lips as Hakyeon walks back in, armed with a fresh basin of water and clean towels.

“Oh, good, you brought cold compresses too,” he says, patting Sanghyuk on the head as he passes. “Hongbin? How do you feel?”

“Alright,” Hongbin rasps, but Sanghyuk feels like it’s empty words when Hongbin has to rely on Taekwoon’s arms keeping him upright in the bed.

Hakyeon’s mouth settles into a thin line as he glances around the room. “Well, you’ve taken the medication… your temperature’s high, but it’s not too bad. I guess we’ll just have to wait it out.”

“Isn’t there anything else we can do?” Wonshik asks, his expression openly full of hurt, but Hongbin just waves them off.

“I’m _fine_ ,” he stresses. “Nothing another hour’s of sleep can’t fix. Don’t worry about me.”

Wonshik looks like he might argue, but it’s Jaehwan who speaks up this time, placing his hands on Wonshik’s shoulders and guiding the rapper off the bed.

“That’s a good idea,” he says, nodding his head. “Let Hongbinnie get some peace and quiet. We’re all too cramped in here anyway.”

“Call us if you need anything,” Taekwoon adds, bending down to give Hongbin a kiss on his forehead, and Hongbin nods.

His eyes flicker over to Sanghyuk again— light brown and tired-looking— and says, “Thanks for going out to buy me medicine, Hyukkie.”

“Anytime,” Sanghyuk replies, and he can’t help but think back to the strange look in Hongbin’s eyes before. He gives the other a quick hug before letting Hakyeon take his hand, pulling him out of Hongbin’s room. They walk out and disperse into the rest of the apartment, talking quietly amongst themselves, and Sanghyuk takes that moment to pull Hakyeon back to him.

“Did— did Hongbin seem different to you earlier?”

“You mean other than him being absolutely wonked out of his mind because of his fever?” Hakyeon tilts his head. “Not really. Why?”

“Nothing,” Sanghyuk mumbles, looking back. “It’s just strange, getting sick like this in the summer.”

“A fever doesn’t care what season it is,” Hakyeon says grimly. “You should be careful too. Go take a shower before you start getting chills from sweating and walking into a cold place earlier, okay?”

He nods and takes Hakyeon’s word of advice; a shower is never a bad idea anyway. But today is just not his night, because as he’s pulling his underwear on after taking a brisk rinse, there’s the sound of something heavy falling over down the hall.

“Hongbin?” he hears Wonshik’s voice shout, and there’s footsteps rushing down the hall. Sanghyuk doesn’t waste any time— underwear or not, he dashes after Taekwoon and Jaehwan’s passing backs until they’re nearly caught up to Hakyeon and Wonshik, who are already at Hongbin’s room.

Something very peculiar happens then. Hakyeon throws open the door, and both he and Wonshik freezes before Hakyeon shouts in shock and collapses on the floor. Wonshik splutters incoherently, eyes wide like he’s just seen a ghost, and he nearly falls over too, if Jaehwan hadn’t grabbed his arm in time.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” Taekwoon calls urgently, clustering into the doorway. “Why aren’t you going in— oh, my god.”

Sanghyuk is last to arrive, and he doesn’t know why they’re all stuck in one spot when Hongbin obviously needs their help. Why won’t they move? Why don’t—

His breath catches in his throat when he looks through the doorway and sees what the others are seeing: the chair by the bed, overturned. The blankets, all over the floor. Hongbin’s sleep pants and t-shirt, shredded, and where a young man with a fever once was is a large, pointy-eared wolf, with the brightest brown eyes Sanghyuk has only ever seen on one man.


	53. Ravi/N - Late Night Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hiiiiiiiii~ could I ... please have a fic where Wonshik stays late after everyone's gone home and catches Hakyeon ballet dancing? Instead of laughing though, he falls in love * v *)d
> 
> 16/07/11

“Hey, Wonshik, do you mind emailing that e-newsletter out to the studio’s subscribers before you leave tonight? Thanks man!”

“Wait, Wonshik, have you signed off yet? No? Okay awesome, can you quickly run these registration forms through the system before you go? I know I was supposed to give them to you earlier, but you know, haha, things cropped up… anyway, I’m out, have a good one!”

“Wonshik, Wonshik, there’s a stack of posters in the copy room, can you do me a favour and just move them into the senior manager’s office before you go? Cool, I gotta run, see you!”

One of these days, Wonshik bemoans to himself as he bumps his hip against the keycard scanner, letting his ID trigger the automated lock before he staggers down the narrow stairs with a huge stack of papers in his arms, he really has to put his foot down and say _you bring your own damn posters downstairs, assholes, I should’ve punched out an hour ago_.

But as it stands, he’s still clocked in at _Cha & Move School of Dance_, still leaning against the wall of the basement level trying to catch his breath, and still very much doing all the grunt work just because he’s a little soft spoken and it’s fun to bully the receptionist.

This is not what I was made for, he grunts to himself as he hefts the box back up in his arms, double-checking to see he’s really reached the ground floor in case he trips and falls down the rest of the stairs and breaks something. Now _that_  would be a huge pain, literally and figuratively, because it’s nearly ten at night now, and there’s definitely no one left around to help him if anything happens—

Something catches his ear, slightly muffled and coming from down the hall, and Wonshik realizes a moment later it’s music. He turns around and drops his head against the wall, groaning loudly as he grinds his forehead against the tacky old wallpaper. And of _course_  those stuck-up dance instructors would forget to turn off the music too. Why does everyone seem to dump all their responsibilities on him in the end?

Sighing, he hefts the box up once more and strides purposefully down the hall towards the studio the music is coming from, because the manager’s office is around the corner and he’s going that way anyway. Even the lanyard hanging from his ID is swishing in an annoyed manner as he walks, and when Wonshik reaches the frosted glass door standing ajar, he almost hip-checks it open to vent his rage.

But then, he catches sight of someone dancing in the mirror through the door that’s standing ajar.

All the air seems to vanish in Wonshik’s lungs, and if the music hadn’t been playing, the person inside would’ve heard his embarrassing choke-gasp of surprise. And that would’ve definitely made everything even more cringe-worthy, because it’s not just anyone dancing in that studio. It’s Cha Hakyeon, the younger brother of the studio’s owner, one of the head instructors, and Wonshik’s unbridled crush.

Everyone _knows_  Hakyeon, even if you don’t really know him, because he’s the one who greets everyone with the brightest smile and walks kids out to meet their parents at the end of every class. Wonshik spends quite a bit of time peeking at him over the counter of his desk whenever Hakyeon steps out, sometimes wearing comfy sweaters and soft sweatpants, but other times in tight black shirts and sleek tights, showing off a perfect, well-toned figure. And Wonshik may or may not have mentally sighed and gazed longingly at Hakyeon as he strides past, smelling of sweet cologne even when he’s sweating.

Hakyeon steps out of sight, and Wonshik only hesitates for a split second before quietly setting the box down by the wall. He peers cautiously forwards, wanting to catch a better view, and his little gamble pays off. Hakyeon is making use of a completely empty studio by throwing himself into all his moves fearlessly; his arms are elegant lines, his chin is tilted confidently into the air, and his eyes are burning so intensely Wonshik feels his hands tremble against his thigh. He’s so captivated by Hakyeon’s dance that he didn’t prepare for the instructor to spin around without warning— and look right at him.

Wonshik will deny the squeak of shock that escapes him to his dying day. But when Hakyeon straightens up, a surprised expression on his face, Wonshik feels the heat rushing up to his face and his instincts kick in. He turns on his heel and tries to bolt, mortified, but his lanyard catches on the doorknob and jerks him back. With a yelp, he goes down hard, tripping over the box in the hall and accidentally dragging the door into his leg as well.

He hears Hakyeon’s shout of, “Oh my god! Are you alright?!”, but Wonshik is fairly certain his reputation is over. He yanks himself loose and sprints for the stairs, not even caring that he’s just sacrificed his ID and posters along the way.

It’s okay, he thinks in a panic as he grabs his bag and jacket before crashing out the front door. He’ll deal with that in the morning.

+

Wonshik absolutely does not want to deal with it in the morning.

He walks into the office at eight like a zombie— messy hair, dark circles under his eyes, and a huge cup of coffee in hand because he stayed up all night torturing himself reliving his own foolishness yesterday evening. Horrible scenarios ranging between Hakyeon yelling at him to Hakyeon making fun of him to getting _fired_  even followed him from his dreams to his current mood. In short, Wonshik looks and feels like death warmed over.

He plops himself down onto the office chair and sets the coffee aside as he boots up the computer, drowning in misery. It’s not until he reaches over to turn on the desk lamp that he notices something dangling from the light on a familiar lanyard.

It’s his ID.

Wonshik leaps upright and yanks it off the lamp, suddenly very awake. There it is, his face in the plastic sleeve, and when he turns it over with shaking fingers, there’s a cute pink sticky note stuck to the back. Something akin to excitement (and hope, perhaps?) flickers inside him as he quickly scans the neat handwriting.

_Hiya, Wonshik! You left something behind yesterday night!_

_don’t worry about the posters, I put them into the storage room in case you wanted to find them again. _Sorry if I startled you, by the way :-(_  I’m a really friendly person once you get to know me, I promise! I took the liberty to look up your lunch schedule on the staff timetable; thought we could bond over some food later on today :D I’ll find you at the front desk today at 12:30? Hope you have a good day!!_

_Regards,_

_C.HY_


	54. Ravi/N - Puppy Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: n/ravi in domestic(?) au with a puppy who doesn't like ravi? (like ravi's unrequited love for mozzi in those m2 videos haha)
> 
> 16/07/11

“Wonshik.”

“Yes?”

Hakyeon pauses by the front door, key hovering in front of the lock, and he takes a moment to suppress a sigh before turning around very slowly to face his boyfriend. Wonshik, perhaps sensing some nagging coming his way, backtracks a few steps, and Hakyeon latches onto his sleeve and shoots him an overly-sweet smile.

“Wonshik, for the last time, Moz is _not_  going to attack you, so could you please stop trying to hide behind me each time we visit my apartment?”

Wonshik’s face crumples and he lets loose a weak little whine, shoulder slumping as he clutches back onto Hakyeon’s wrist. “Look, I know you love your dog and all, but you gotta face it, Hakyeon— she _hates_  me.”

“Lies,” Hakyeon scoffs, turning his hand over so that he’s grabbing onto Wonshik’s palms— Wonshik lets out an alarmed sound as he unlocks his front door and pushes in fearlessly— and the two of them step into Hakyeon’s apartment.

For a moment everything is still. The air conditioning is on, some appliances are humming in the kitchen, and the clock is ticking on the wall.

And then, the yipping begins.

Wonshik literally cringes into the wall as a tiny ball of white fluff comes rocketing down the hall, and Hakyeon does his best to crouch down whilst holding onto Wonshik’s hand as he welcomes his puppy.

“Moz, Moz,” he coos, letting the playful animal leap up onto his lap and lick all over his face. “Hey, cutie,” he chuckles, and gives the puppy a kiss on the forehead. “Look who came to visit!”

Moz hops around on his lap, gigantic black eyes fixated on Wonshik, and she immediately starts barking his way, tail wagging back and forth so fast it’s a blur. Wonshik winces and holds out a shaking hand, practically sweating bullets by now.

“G-good doggie, nice doggie, p-please don’t bite me.”

“Relax,” Hakyeon laughs, gently setting Moz down on the floor. He stands up and untangles his hands from Wonshik’s before moving to wrap his arms around Wonshik’s waist, tugging his taller boyfriend closer. “She’s not going to bite you.”

“She nearly did last time!” Wonshik says anxiously, doing an awkward half-step away from Moz as the puppy bounces over to Wonshik’s foot, sniffing his ankles noisily. “You weren’t looking, but I swear! She was going right for my leg!”

“Nonsense,” Hakyeon grins, and he stops whatever Wonshik might say next with a swift kiss. Wonshik makes a slightly disgruntled noise, but he’s a sap and he’s crazy in love with Hakyeon, and now that they’re in the comforts of Hakyeon’s private space he has no qualms showing affection back. Large hands settle on Hakyeon’s shoulders before they trail their way up his neck, touch slow and gentle, and Hakyeon smiles when Wonshik cups his face and pulls him a little closer, drawing him deeper into the kiss. They’re turning into the sappy old couple Hakyeon has always dreamed of becoming with the love of his life, and it pleases him to no end when Wonshik sighs between the slight breaks of their kisses, absolutely boneless in Hakyeon’s arms.

Then, Moz’s high-pitched bark pierces through the air, and Wonshik tenses like he’s just been shocked. Hakyeon rolls his eyes when his boyfriend leaps aside, almost running into the wall before shooting Hakyeon a desperate look.

“I know you don’t like it, but can we just please, _please_  just shut the door to your bedroom this time around…?”

“And exclude Moz?” Hakyeon asks, pretending to take offence. “How could you, Wonshik, she’s our family!”

“My  _extended_ family,” Wonshik complains, and flinches again when Moz starts growling at a spot behind him. “Please, seriously, I don’t know why she hates me that much, but she’s stressing me out so much. I can’t even kiss you in peace.”

“Oh, alright, you big baby,” Hakyeon chuckles, and he drags Wonshik down the hall before his boyfriend could pull his sad faces, taking care to nudge the door shut as he goes. He hears Moz’s nails go _click click click_  on the hardwood floors after them, and there’s a few customary barks that makes Wonshik skirt away from the door before Hakyeon laughs, wraps his arms around Wonshik’s neck, and instantly whispers something unheard into the air behind the younger.

A shadow, faint but still visible, passes over the wall before melting away into nothingness. Outside, Moz’s barks slow into quieter snuffles, and a moment later she’s tottering away again. Hakyeon grins to himself as he places his hands on Wonshik’s waist and yanks the back of his shirt up without warning.

“Hey!” Wonshik yelps, but Hakyeon simply steps back and flops onto the bed, smirking.

“I’m waiting, you know,” he says nonchalantly, and _thoroughly_  enjoys the way Wonshik’s gaze goes from indignant to heated before the shirt is on the floor and Wonshik is climbing over him again, mouth seeking his own, and groaning as Hakyeon’s fingers tangle roughly into his hair.

+

Jaehwan said he’d drop by in the evening, so Hakyeon’s mostly prepared when the doorbell rings at six. And by mostly prepared, it means he’s bothered to yank Wonshik’s shirt over his head and putting his boxers on before going to answer the door with Moz, which makes Jaehwan’s outraged reaction even more hilarious.

“Oh, I did _not_  need to know what you and your honey bunny were up to just now,” Jaehwan complains loudly, and Hakyeon smacks him in the arm.

“Shh! My honey bunny is sleeping,” he sniffs, and Jaehwan sticks his nose up before handing over a shopping bag.

“All the stuff you wanted,” he says before bending down to play with Moz. The puppy is panting happily as Jaehwan picks her up and scratches behind her ears, grinning.

“Thanks, Jaehwannie,” Hakyeon hums, checking out all the supplies. “This should be enough.”

“No problem,” Jaehwan replies, making kissey noises at Moz now. “She’s still going nuts over Wonshik’s tag-along ghost, eh?”

“Yeah,” Hakyeon nods, looking over his shoulder. “But whatever it is that’s trailing him— it’s gotten a lot weaker. One more hit with a banishing spell and it should leave Wonshik for good.”

“Well, as long as he passes the Moz-alarm, he’s clear of all ghosty hanky-panky, right?” Jaehwan laughs, and Hakyeon grins in return.

“That’s right,” he chuckles, rubbing the top of Moz’s head. “And just like me, she just wants Wonshik to be safe and sound, right, Moz?”

The bright and cheerful bark he gets in response is answer enough.


	55. Ravi/Leo - Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: LR wontaek checking each other out at the gym (for the first time) and then they meet again as business rivals but they have a hot make out sesh anyway because fatal attraction ;3;
> 
> 16/07/11

There had been a pair of eyes on him this morning, when he had been doing his daily routine at the indoor gym, and hours later, Wonshik can feel the same set of eyes boring into the side of his face as he fakes his smiles at the snooty old businessman sitting across from him during dinner.

He picks up his wine glass and takes a small sip, using the motion to free himself from his robotic nods at his associate’s words, and of course his gaze immediately drifts towards the table beside the angelfish’s tank.

Jung Taekwoon’s eyes lock with his, and for the second time that day, Wonshik feels his breath being stolen away by the handsome stranger’s look alone.

But of course, Jung isn’t exactly a stranger; they’ve actually known each other for quite a while already, even if not personally. On his side, Wonshik is the infamous prodigal son who sought freedom from his father’s old ways of conducting business, disappearing halfway across the world for nearly two years before reappearing out of the blue and claiming his inheritance. Since then, the corporation has been on the rise, armed with fresh ideas and new tactics, courtesy of Wonshik’s quick thinking and out-of-the-box ideas.

In contrast, Jung is the _dutiful_  son, suddenly tossed into mayhem when his own father landed himself in a scandal and suddenly vanished from the public eye. Despite barely ready to lead his own team, Jung was rocketed into a position of even higher leadership that he took on with sheer grit that helped him power his way through anyone’s doubt him until he claimed the throne himself. To this day, there is not a soul inside or outside his company that doubts his abilities to run an internationally renowned business.

But to Wonshik, Jung Taekwoon isn’t just the rival he shares the headlines of tabloid magazines with, or even the topic of heated whispers behind the water cooler— instead, he’s just the guy with insanely broad shoulders, soft lips rounded into the most delectable ‘o’ shape as he’s catching his breath by the water fountain, and thighs so thick Wonshik had to fight not to salivate over when he first caught sight of Jung’s legs at the gym this morning.

He’s not an idiot either; of course Wonshik noticed the heated glances shot his way as he worked his way through the weights and his ab routine. If he threw himself a little more vigorously into his workout and let his muscle shirt ride up a few more times than necessary— well, Wonshik maintains there’s no reason why Jung had to work on his leg stretches _just_  so either. It was simple flirtation until they both walked out into the parking lot, drove to work, and then met up again at a huge city-wide conference later on in the afternoon.

Oh, what a shock _that_  had been.

But how such a fascinating morning had ended up in such a boring dinner is an utter letdown; Wonshik can’t even say he’s offended when the associated suddenly takes a call and claims he has to leave for a work-related emergency (which is probably code for old-timers’ meet ups at smoky bars for whiskey). He stands, bids the old man goodbye, and drops back into his chair with a huff. Thank god he’s already finished his dessert, because all he has to do is call for the bill and then— 

Someone slides seamlessly into the vacated chair across from him, and Wonshik looks up just in time to see a familiar face and a familiar body before Jung Taekwoon shoots him a smile and folds his hands on the tablecloth.

“Good evening, Mr. Kim.”

“Wonshik,” Wonshik says at once, because he’s always felt ancient being addressed with such formality, and because he’s dying to know what his name sounds like coming from the man’s lips.

Jung inclines his head. “Wonshik.”

It sounds just as maddeningly wonderful as Wonshik imagined.

“Call me Taekwoon,” Jung quips, before continuing: “It’s a shame your date left early.” Light dances in his eyes at the joke, and Wonshik has to force down the splutter.

“Shame yours never showed up,” he shoots back, and has to hide his smirk behind another sip of wine when Taekwoon’s eyes narrow.

“I wasn’t expecting anyone,” the other man says simply, brushing a stray strand of hair out of his eyes. His long fingers are decorated with an array of beautiful silver rings, and Wonshik wants to take each of them off with his mouth. He feels something bump against his foot under the table, and a second later he fights down a surprised flinch when Jung slides the tip of his thousand-dollar oxfords up the inside of his calf before settling on the chair between Wonshik’s spread legs. He feels warm under the collar, especially when he realizes no one else in this room can see what Taekwoon’s doing beneath the tablecloth.

“Neither was I,” he says instead, giving the man a pointed look. “So I certainly don’t think I’ve got any business with you.”

Taekwoon laughs, sounding like bell chimes, and Wonshik wants to know what Taekwoon sounds like he’s moaning and panting his name.

“That’s funny, I heard that you were a man of spontaneous action and innovative ideas. Perhaps I’ve been mistaken.”

Wonshik leans forwards, seizing Taekwoon’s leg beneath the table, and strokes his thumb along the inside of the other’s ankle. He grins when the other shivers minutely. “Perhaps I just think that you can’t _keep up_.”

Taekwoon blinks, once, twice, and then his foot is suddenly gone as he stands. His gaze is challenging and wonderfully hot as he replies: “Why don’t you find out?”

(Wonshik does.)

(He also finds out just how fucking humongous Taekwoon’s downtown penthouse is, and how the other man’s lack of care for where their clothes went becomes an instant turn-on for himself. He’ll get up the next morning and wonder just how the hell his tie ended up on the spotlights in the den, but for the rest of the night he’ll enjoy the way Taekwoon kisses messily and wildly, the way Taekwoon would let him bite and nibble and suck blooming marks into his neck until Wonshik’s satisfied, and how Taekwoon looks up at him with such obvious desire as Wonshik straddles the thighs he’s been admiring since morning. He’s never been so crazy for someone else before, and judging by the way Taekwoon holds his hips and bites his lips until they’re swollen and red, his so-called rival is also in the same boat.)

Let the tabloids try to report on _that_.


	56. Ravi/Hyuk - As Time Goes On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Rahyuk: Sanghyuk having a bad day with practice and his insecurities from when he was seventeen coming back and Wonshik reassuring him
> 
> 16/07/17

The question seemed to come out of nowhere, which in retrospect made Wonshik feel like he’s failed as the elder of the two because he hadn’t been paying attention.

He was sitting at his desk, sorting out scrap paper and scribbles he wanted to type up the next morning when Sanghyuk spoke up from the general direction of his bed.

“Wonshik, did I mess up bad today?”

He responds a second too late, because while he heard Sanghyuk speak he was still mentally somewhere else, so when he jolts upright the first words out of his mouth are, “Huh?”

Sanghyuk is looking at him from where he’s lying on his bed, hands pillowed beneath his head. He’s wearing a gigantic droopy t-shirt and sleep pants, ready for bed, but his expression is tight and he looks anything but sleepy. When Wonshik can’t elaborate fast enough either, Sanghyuk’s face shutters off slightly and he looks to the side, towards the wall.

“Nevermind,” he mumbles, but Wonshik knows that something’s wrong now, at least.

“What do you mean?” he asks, spinning around on his chair. “Mess up? You didn’t mess up.”

“I was off all day,” Sanghyuk replies, dry, and Wonshik shakes his head. That had been true, but then again, all of them had had their moments of confusion and misstep.

“Yeah, but it was only a few times.”

“A few times?” Sanghyuk repeats incredulously, looking back. “I was an uncoordinated _mess_. Just like I was before and when we debuted.”

“Whoa, okay, I wouldn’t go that far,” Wonshik says, alarmed. Sanghyuk was acting a little odd, and his brain has already mentally dumped the paper sorting in favour of dealing with this. “We all have our bad days.”

“This wasn’t a bad day,” Sanghyuk answers, stiff, and something _definitely_  isn’t right. At the end of the day, they’ll usually joke if they’re both getting ready for bed at the same time, often about the silly things that happen during the day. Mistakes are made easy to accept because they’re laughing about it, but this is something else.

“Sanghyuk,” Wonshik frowns. “Are you okay?”

Sanghyuk looks up at him and laughs, short and humourless.

“I’m fine,” he says, sounding anything but.

“No, if something isn’t right, we gotta talk about it,” Wonshik prods, scooting forwards on his chair. Sanghyuk’s expression darkens a smidgen.

“I said I was fine.”

“You don’t look it,” Wonshik retorts stubbornly, and Sanghyuk’s eyes flash. He looks uncharacteristically angry now, and he sits up without warning, making Wonshik jump.

“Where are you going?” he asks, when Sanghyuk swings his feet over the edge of his bed.

“Going for a walk,” Sanghyum mumbles, stiff, and Wonshik finds himself standing.

“Not at this hour,” he protests. Sanghyuk straightens, and he’s taller than Wonshik now.

“I can go out on my own.”

“I’ll come with you,” Wonshik shoots back, stubborn, and Sanghyuk heaves a frustrated sigh.

“I don’t _want_  you to,” he says, and Wonshik won’t lie— that stung, but the look on Sanghyuk’s face after he says it (of surprise that quickly morphs into regret) is enough for Wonshik to know the younger doesn’t mean it. He’s lashing out, and it’s because he’s not doing okay.

Sanghyuk turns, wordless, shoulders haunched, and Wonshik doesn’t think.

“Wait—” he calls, hurrying forwards, but in that moment his foot catches on the corner of the rug. He trips, yelping in shock as he falls forwards, and smashes into Sanghyuk’s side, toppling them over. There’s a resounding _bang_ , which is followed by Sanghyuk’s pained grunt, and when Wonshik straightens he’s horrified to see Sanghyuk clutching the back of his head and the nightstand wobbling precariously.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” he cries, scrambling forwards. Sanghyuk just groans, nodding and batting Wonshik’s nervous hands aside. “W-wait here,” he splutters instead, and leaps for the door. There’s ice packs in the fridge and clean towels under the sink, which he returns with to find Sanghyuk is sitting up, leaning against his bed, rubbing at the back of his head.

“Thanks,” he sighs when Wonshik sits down next to him, gingerly pressing the pack to Sanghyuk’s head. They stay like that for a while, until Wonshik is shifting uncomfortably from the silence.

That’s when Sanghyuk finally speaks up with a wry: “Y’know, if you didn’t want me to go out, you didn’t have to tackle me to the ground to stop me.”

“Shut up,” Wonshik grumbles, embarrassed. “You’re so big nowadays, it might be the only way for me to actually stop you.”

Sanghyuk shakes his head. “Feels like all I ever do is cause trouble,” he mutters, mostly to himself, and Wonshik’s heart twists.

“Don’t you think that,” he says fiercely. “If this is about one bad day of work, then you need to think about all the hundreds of good days you’ve also had. And I know you had them, because we were all there with you and we laughed together. We also cried a lot together, and I wish we were there for you when you were younger, too, instead of letting you bear it all on your own. We— we should’ve done more for you.”

Wonshik breaks off with an almighty sniffle, and Sanghyuk is watching him with wide eyes. Relentless, he ploughs on. “We should’ve made sure you didn’t have the worries you had. We’re a team. We’re not the s-same without y-you.”

“Okay, stop right there,” Sanghyuk interrupts, and he’s grinning a little as he reaches up, wiping the tears that have managed to leak from Wonshik’s eyes. “Honestly, I thought _I_ was supposed to be the one feeling down here.”

“S-shut up,” Wonshik mutters, squeezing his eyes shut, and Sanghyuk laughs lightly, brushing his thumb against Wonshik’s cheek. When he opens his eyes again, Sanghyuk is looking at him with a small smile on his face.

“Thanks,” he whispers, soft. “For telling me this.”

Wonshik sits up on his knees, mindful of the ice pack still on Sanghyuk’s head, and leans forwards before he could second-guess himself. Sanghyuk blinks in surprise, but his eyes flutter shut as Wonshik presses a gentle kiss to his forehead, comforting, before he sits back down.

When Sanghyuk leans over and rests his head against Wonshik’s shoulder without being prompted, Wonshik knows they’re going to be alright.


	57. Ravi/Ken - It Might Be Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: kenvi |with jealous Ken and *cough* makeup sex ~
> 
> 16/07/21

There is a little scar on the inside of Jaehwan’s ankle that Wonshik has never seen before— it’s short, skin a bit lighter in colour, and it must be old by now, perhaps caused by Jaehwan’s occasional inattentiveness to his surroundings, but Wonshik still wonders about it. So he presses his lips against it, and Jaehwan’s foot twitches in his hand, which is cupped lightly around the heel of Jaehwan’s foot.

“Sorry,” Wonshik breathes, glancing up, and to his slight dismay Jaehwan isn’t even looking down at him. He’s still got his gaze fixed firmly on the giant plush bear at the end of the bed, the one Wonshik won for him at a raffle long ago, and his arms are crossed. The thin grey material of his t-shirt stretch over the expanse of his chest, a little too snugly because the shirt is old and a bit too small on Jaehwan. Wonshik swallows, and gently sets Jaehwan’s foot down on the ground.

“Baby,” he says softly, nudging Jaehwan’s knees apart. Jaehwan’s mouth thins again at the nickname, and he stares even harder at the spot above Wonshik’s head. Wonshik sighs and eases himself forwards, kneeling between Jaehwan’s spread legs. He tilts his head and rests it against Jaehwan’s thigh before placing his hand on the other, curling his around the top of Jaehwan’s leg before stroking his thumb along the inseam of the jeans.

“You know I love you lots, don’t you?” Wonshik asks, nuzzling against the material stretched over Jaehwan’s thigh. “I’m sorry I forgot to call— I got caught up talking to my co-workers. I didn’t mean to worry you, or make you wait.”

He doesn’t expect an answer; Jaehwan is stubborn and occasionally petty about things that really upset him, and Wonshik figures he should have at least called ahead before going out to dinner with some of the senior members in the company and getting completely swept up in all of their drunken rants and dumb party games. And because he never drinks without Jaehwan around, Wonshik ended up being everyone’s ride home, and it’s nearing two in the morning now. When he first walked into the silent apartment, it was half past one in the morning, and Jaehwan was _pissed_.

But Jaehwan hasn’t eased him off or stormed off to the guest room in a huff, so Wonshik figures he’s at least safe from the cold shoulder for the night. He keeps his hands on Jaehwan’s legs as he slowly sits upright, sliding up onto the bed. It forces Jaehwan to move back a little, and Wonshik smiles a little when his boyfriend tips and falls backwards onto a puffy pillow with a slight grunt. Dark eyes meet his, and Jaehwan purses his lips, exhaling sharply.

“Is your job more important than us, Wonshikkie?” he asks, haughtily, and Wonshik shakes his head at once.

“Of _course_  not. You know that, Jaehwan.”

Jaehwan sighs and untangles his arms, dropping them onto the pillow beside his head. He shoots Wonshik a challenging look. “Tonight certainly didn’t reflect that.”

“I’m telling the truth,” Wonshik tries, and Jaehwan’s lip quirks upwards in cold amusement.

“Prove it.”

Wonshik hesitates, but a moment later he’s undoing the top button of Jaehwan’s jeans, easing the zipper down and tugging the pants off Jaehwan’s legs. Jaehwan lifts his hips to help him out, but then the look is back. He sniffs indignantly when Wonshik takes a little too long pulling his boxers down.

“I haven’t got all _night_ , Wonshik.”

Wonshik nods, wetting his lips experimentally before taking the head of Jaehwan’s cock into his mouth, swirling his tongue and using his hands to work Jaehwan up. He hears his boyfriend’s breath hitch, sees Jaehwan clutch the pillow in his peripherals as he swallows down, and he keeps on going until his jaw beings to ache a little. Then, Jaehwan reaches down and threads his fingers through Wonshik’s hair, pulling him up.

He can’t stop the moan that tips out of his throat, unable to help himself, because Jaehwan looks beautiful and all Wonshik ever wants to do is to please him, to make sure Jaehwan looks back at him with warmth again.

“Condoms and lube,” Jaehwan pants. “You need to make me come before you do, and maybe I’ll stay in bed with you for the rest of the night.”

Wonshik figures his second failure of the night lies in a subpar blowjob, because as far as he’s concerned Jaehwan can still formulate a pretty complex and coherent sentence, and that definitely means he hasn’t done a proper job.

He doesn’t kiss Jaehwan as he’s prepping him, but he does leave a smattering of bright red hickeys along his jutting hipbones and on his lower stomach, low enough that if Jaehwan wears a slightly shorter shirt and reaches up the next day, all those marks will be more than visible to anyone standing by. He waits until Jaehwan is literally thrashing in the sheets before sliding the condom on and thrusting in— Jaehwan arches up and sobs out loud, and Wonshik immediately wraps his arms around Jaehwan and hugs him close, kissing his neck, collarbones and jaw. He murmurs a mixture of apologies and soft endearments, about how much he loves Jaehwan, adores every fibre of his being, and all he wants is for Jaehwan to stay with him tonight, to be by his side forever.

When Jaehwan’s orgasm hits, Wonshik doesn’t stop fucking him through it, and he feels Jaehwan claw marks into his back as he finally hugs Wonshik back, choking on moans and gasps as he buries his face into the crook of Wonshik’s neck. Wonshik groans, rolling his hips one last time before pulling out, but he steels himself and bites down on his lips, forcing himself to hold back. For Jaehwan, he can.

“Oh, babe,” Jaehwan sighs. He moves forwards, making Wonshik sit back on his heels, and strokes Wonshik’s cheek lovingly. “I’m sorry, I’m not mad, I just missed you so much— I shouldn’t have gotten so temperamental like that— you’d do anything for me, won’t you?”

“Yes,” Wonshik gasps, turning his face into Jaehwan’s palm, nuzzling his hand, using the feeling to ground himself. “Yes, yes, I would, please—”

“You’d wait all night if I asked you to, wouldn’t you?” Jaehwan breathes, kissing him deeply, and Wonshik moans his answer out between their lips.

“ _God, yes_ —”

“Come,” Jaehwan commands, biting down on Wonshik’s lower lip, and Wonshik sobs his way through his orgasm, holding onto Jaehwan like he’s a lifeline.

“I love you,” Jaehwan says, eyes surprisingly watery as he pushes Wonshik over onto the bed. “I love you so much. And I think you’ve proved yourself wonderfully. So now— it’s my turn.”


	58. OT6 - We'll Look To The Future (the past was good, and it's time to leave it behind)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: prompt: ot6, lyrics of us now, heartwarming fluff hurhur
> 
> 16/07/30

It was still a relatively early hour when Hongbin slipped out into the hall, the feeling of his regular hunter’s clothes oddly heavy and just a little bit itchy after spending nearly a week wearing those floaty, soft-silken shirts and pants the royal family had been providing him. He’d felt so awkward and out of place wearing those clothes in the beginning, but as he’s about to walk down the castle’s grand, plush-carpeted hallway out of the private wings, he has to admit he’ll miss the feeling of this short-lived comfort— but more importantly, the people that he shared it with.

He’s just pushed the set of gigantic oak doors shut on the quiet bedroom when a voice pipes up from somewhere on his left.

“You know, Sanghyuk is going to be really upset when he wakes up and finds you missing.”

Hongbin pauses, and feels a little smile lift the corners of his mouth against his will. He spins around and meets the gaze of the man leaning against the pillar a little ways away, posture relaxed and expression bright.

“He’ll be fine, Hakyeon. Sanghyuk’s gonna be a busy boy soon.”

“And I’m sure he’ll need all the help he can get from his most trusted companions,” Hakyeon replies. He pushes himself off the pillar and strides forwards; Hongbin tenses, but he doesn’t move away. Hakyeon stops when there’s a only a sliver of space left between them. He places his index finger beneath Hongbin’s chin, tilting his face up very slightly, and Hongbin lets him.

“Especially on the morning of his coronation. In fact, _all_  of us will need to help each other in the coming months,” Hakeyon says softly. “I can’t stop you from leaving, Binnie, but please. I’ll do all that I can to ask you to stay, and I know the others will too.”

It was a lost battle before it could even begin, Hongbin muses to himself, and he sighs, shoulders slumping forwards. His travel pack seems to grow even heavier on his back, but Hakyeon steps forwards to embrace him then, holding him gently. Hongbin bites his lip.

“Hakyeon, I— you know I’d do anything for you guys, but things are going to change. And you know me. I’m just a hunter, from the old forests. What’s my place in his life now? The moment we helped Sanghyuk reclaim his throne, I know he’s not just that boy we ran into a the pub anymore.”

“True,” Hakyeon admits. “But also for the better, don’t you think? We cleared Wonshik’s name and proved those accusations false, showed Jaehwan he _is_  worth something when everyone said illegitimate fairy children can’t be trusted, and helped Taekwoon retrieve the sorcerer’s powers that were stolen from him.” A chuckle escapes Hakyeon, and his voice grows a little choked. “You guys abolished the curse placed on my family. We brought Sanghyuk back home. And maybe, you should realized you don’t have to live alone anymore, Hongbin. You have us now.”

“Sap,” Hongbin mumbles, but his throat is tight as he straightens. “Ah, I’m sorry I tried to give you the slip, okay, there’s no need to turn on the waterworks.”

Hakyeon whacks him upside the head, but he kisses Hongbin’s cheek immediately after, and Hongbin can’t stop the blush that floods his cheeks. Fortunately, Hakyeon seems to decide he’s learned his lesson and chuckles, tilting his head towards the bedroom door.

“C’mon, I’m sure Wonshik and Jaehwan’s ears are gonna get stuck to the door if we make them eavesdrop any longer.”

Hongbin raises an eyebrow, and from behind the door he hears a _thump_  and a muffle swear. Rolling his eyes, he pushes the door open, and immediately two pairs of arms latch around him, startling a yelp out of him as he’s dragged back inside.

“D-don’t leave us,” Wonshik is babbling into his neck, trying to talk between hiccups. “P-please, Hongbin.”

“Is it because I stole that crab roll from you yesterday night at dinner?” Jaehwan wails, and he’s shushed by Hakyeon. “I promise not to take any more of your food, I love you Binnie, don’t go—”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Hongbin whisper-shouts, trying to pry the two off him as they drag him back to the gigantic bed in the other end of the darkened room. He can see Sanghyuk fast asleep in Taekwoon’s arms, probably worn out by all the coronation preparation nonsense the attendants have been dragging him through all week. He doesn’t even stir when three bodies flop back on the bed, and a moment later Hakyeon climbs into bed on Taekwoon’s side. Taekwoon grumbles in his sleep as they all crowd around him, and Hakyeon chuckles. Hongbin sighs and resigns himself to Wonshik and Jaehwan’s attempts to curl themselves around him, still sniffling.

“Guys,” he protests softly, trying to pat them both on the head at the same time. “I’m sorry, don’t cry anymore, I’m not gonna go anywhere, alright? I’m staying.”

“Good,” Taekwoon mumbles from somewhere on the bed, and they all jump, not expecting him to be awake. “Now stop being so noisy, all of you.”

Hakyeon laughs. “Get some sleep while you still can,” he whispers. “We’re gonna have a busy morning soon.”

+

The late morning sun is uncomfortably warm on the back of his neck, but it’s not enough to distract Hongbin from the stiff suit or the awkwardness of sitting in the front row of the ceremonial hall, next to a bunch of rich, influential people that are doing nothing to mask their open interest in the five misfits occupying the most important seats in the hall. He sighs and resists the urge to tug at his collar. Another few hours, and he can go back to cuddling Sanghyuk in his arms, and maybe share a bottle of expensive champagne with Hakyeon and Wonshik while Taekwoon and Jaehwan continue to eat everything in sight. That’s an ideal night.

He’s brought back to the present when Taekwoon nudges him just before they all stand, applause smattering through the hall as the golden crown is finally, _finally_ , lowered onto Sanghyuk’s head. The young man straightens and turns to face them, and Hongbin is suddenly struck by how much older Sanghyuk looks, and the way his image inspires hope. Jaehwan’s insight hadn’t been wrong— against all odds, Sanghyuk was destined for the throne from the start.

There’s a speech one of the script writers had prepared for Sanghyuk, one that Sanghyuk had spent hours pouring over with Hakyeon because of how nervous he was, and Hongbin’s sure they’ve all heard it so many times _they_  can recite it back to the audience. He’s content to just relax and lean against Wonshik’s side until Sanghyuk looks up at the end, and his gaze flits over to them.

“The journey and the battle that led up until this moment was not an easy one. This road I wouldn’t have been able to walk without any of you— you were the ones who became my light. I’m so glad you are all here, beside me.”

Hongbin’s heart leaps in his chest, and he can see Hakyeon’s look of surprise and Jaehwan’s mouth dropping open. Sanghyuk’s gaze is warm and full of fondness as he turns towards them, making it obvious of whom he was addressing.

No, Hongbin realizes. Sanghyuk is _thanking_ them, the nobodies, in front of the wealthy and influential.

“Because you’ve all always been by my side, you are the most important to me; more than anyone else. We have more days in the future together than how many days we had together in the past.”

Taekwoon is crying quietly beside him, and Wonshik is fumbling for Hongbin’s hand, clutching at him like a lifeline, and suddenly, he realizes this is what the feeling of _home_  might be. This is them, now.

The noise of the crowd is growing, the sounds of applause and cheers deafening as the golden fireworks explode into the sky and silvery bits of magicked confetti burst over the hall, out the windows and all over the kingdom gathered below, here to witness the coronation and the welcoming of a new reign.

He smiles, and looks up to the beautiful blue sky.

Long live the King.


	59. Leo/Hyuk - Fly Back To Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: taekwoon and sanghyuk are dating, but sanghyuk's parents disapprove bc of the age gap (not underaged btw! since that can be a messy subject)
> 
> 16/08/02

The sad little growl that sounds from his stomach is nearly lost in the sounds and bustle of the airport, busy even at the late hour, but before Taekwoon could even begin a mental brainstorm of places he could go eat that doesn’t involve fast food from airport cafés, his phone buzzes in the pocket of his jacket.

He halts, reaching inside of his uniform, and takes out the device. Flashing across the screen is a lone message from a familiar name.

_Look left_.

Taekwoon whirls around, nearly walking into a gigantic family of six stumbling out of the baggage claim, but once a very hassled-looking father, he sees a young man standing off to the side, bundled up in a bright green parka with a fur-lined hood with a backpack on his shoulders. His heart leaps.

Sanghyuk meets him halfway when Taekwoon breaks out into a half-jog towards his boyfriend’s direction, and once he’s within arm’s reach, Sanghyuk launches himself to embrace Taekwoon and literally lifts him off his feet with his enthusiasm. His eyes shine and there’s a huge grin adorning his face as Taekwoon yelps, dropping the handle of his luggage in favour of wrapping his arms around Sanghyuk’s neck.

“Hi,” Sanghyuk says cheerfully, once Taekwoon is back on his own two feet and isn’t using a death grip to cling on to the younger. “Welcome home.”

Taekwoon shakes a wisp of hair aside, catches his breath, and smiles too.

“Thanks,” he says, and Sanghyuk beams at him. “It’s good to be back.”

+

Sanghyuk is bright and chatty as he takes Taekwoon’s hand and luggage in the other, leading them out of the terminal and into the frigid winter air blowing through the multi-layered carpark. For a moment, he’s so caught up with seeing Sanghyuk again that Taekwoon completely forgets he needs to drive until Sanghyuk turns to him and says sheepishly, “So, yeah, where’d you put your car?”

Taekwoon blinks, and then spins around, racking his brains as he tries to recall just where he’d parked his car five days ago.

“Level 3, if I remember correctly. Where did you park?”

Sanghyuk rubs his nose, cutely red in the cold weather, and smiles plainly.

“I bused,” he answers, and doesn’t give Taekwoon a chance to ask anything else when he starts up a brisk pace down the walkway towards the elevator. In hindsight, that probably should’ve already been a hint that sometime was off.

It takes a moment for his car to warm up again after being put out in the cold for so long, during which Sanghyuk immediately takes control of the aux cord and starts playing his own music, grinning cheekily at Taekwoon’s nose wrinkle at the EDM that blares from his speakers.

“Hungry?” Sanghyuk asks, and Taekwoon nods at once, making his boyfriend laugh. “Wonshik showed me a new hotpot restaurant that opened near the theatre, it looks pretty good. Plus, it’s cold and there’s a welcome week discount! Let’s go!”

“Sure,” Taekwoon nods, sliding his seatbelt across his front, taking care not to crease his blazer. “Didn’t you eat dinner yet?”

“Nah,” Sanghyuk shrugs, putting his phone in the coffee holder as he reclines comfortably in his seat. “I was studying.”

Taekwoon frowns as he pulls out of the lot, fingers curled stiffly around the cold steering wheel. “You shouldn’t do that, you’ll make yourself sick.”

Sanghyuk laughs and reaches out to pat Taekwoon’s shoulder playfully. “Hey, I only have my urban infrastructure midterm left. After that, it’s smooth sailing for, like, two weeks until we go into exam hell.”

“Doesn’t mean you can neglect your meals,” Taekwoon warns, and Sanghyuk makes a petulant whining sound, pouting in annoyance at him.

“Yeah, _okay_ , I know.”

Taekwoon smiles to himself as he hits the highway, gaze flickering over to his boyfriend every once in a while. “Good.”

+

Hotpot was probably the best idea of the night— they both eat like starved wolves, barely able to get a word out. Taekwoon waits until they get dessert (green tea ice cream, with a plate of tasty mochi that he knows Sanghyuk likes) to tell Sanghyuk about the flight from Seoul over to LA and the few nights he’d spent there before piloting the flight back.

“Argh, I’m so jealous,” Sanghyuk groans, flopping forwards onto the tabletop. “I want to go to LA! It’s been freezing _and_  I have exams.”

“I already said I’d bring you somewhere for your graduation trip,” Taekwoon snorts, ruffling Sanghyuk’s hair. It’s been a plan they’d been working on together since the summer of Sanghyuk’s fourth year— a light at the end of the tunnel and a present he’d really wanted to gift Sanghyuk after Sanghyuk graduates from his five year program.

But Sanghyuk’s expression doesn’t light up the way Taekwoon thought he would. Instead, Sanghyuk just turns his head and looks out towards the window, a sour expression reflected in the glass.

“Yeah,” he mumbles, and Taekwoon pushes his dish aside at once in favour of scooting forwards.

“What’s the matter?” he asks, and Sanghyuk gives a half-hearted shrug.

“Nothing.”

“Sanghyuk,” Taekwoon says, and maybe it’s the tone of his voice, or the concern that inevitably slips through, but it makes Sanghyuk just groan and raise his head off the table again.

“My parents don’t want me going on the trip with you,” he mumbles, and Taekwoon can’t honestly say he didn’t not see that one coming.

“Did you guys argue tonight?” he prods, gentle, and Sanghyuk nods, plopping his chin on the tabletop.

“They kept saying my grades are dropping because I’m going out with you, or whatever, but that makes no sense because my GPA has actually stayed the same? They’re just like that because you’re older and I talk over the phone with you, or videocall you and shit— and I’m not even _with_  you all the time, for fuck’s sake, you’re always flying across the world, we hardly get enough time together as it is!”

Sanghyuk heaves a breath, and Taekwoon takes that moment to reach out and brush his fingers against Sanghyuk’s cheek, unable to stop the little smile from escaping.

“It’s alright,” he soothes. “They’re your parents, they’re supposed to care about you. Honestly, I’m glad they do.”

“I don’t get their logic,” Sanghyuk growls. “First you’re too old for me, then you’re doing a job that takes you too far, and then it’s a good thing you’re always so far away so you can’t distract me from studying, and then it’s because you’re always so far that you distract me from school!”

“Well, to be fair, I do travel a lot,” Taekwoon grins, and Sanghyuk deflates with a deep sigh. “I _am_ almost thirty—”

“You turn twenty-nine in November,” Sanghyuk deadpans. “And I’m twenty-three, you know, not a kid.”

“—twenty-nine,” Taekwoon amends. “And not a kid. Got it.”

“Can I stay over at your place tonight?” Sanghyuk whines. “I even brought my homework.”

“I think you should go home,” Taekwoon says, serious, and Sanghyuk groans. “But— how does lunch and a trip to trampoline dodgeball tomorrow afternoon sound?”

“Seriously?” Sanghyuk splutters, sitting upright. “You hate trampoline dodgeball. And will your internal clock be up for it?”

Taekwoon winces, and tries valiantly not to think about how his face looked the last time Sanghyuk beaned him in the face with a dodgeball. “I’ll… live.”

“Oh my god, really?” Sanghyuk enthuses, grabbing Taekwoon’s hands. “You are seriously the best, Taekwoon, I swear to god. And that grad trip— I swear I’ll talk my parents through it. You know I want to go with you.”

“I know,” Taekwoon laughs. “Take your time, Hyukkie. Don’t worry so much about this.”

The gigantic, brilliant smile that breaks out on Sanghyuk’s face is worth the trouble, after all.


	60. OT6 - Hearts, Hurting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Hi! Could I request an ot6 based on the storyline from their utopia concert?
> 
> 16/08/

Time was ticking.

Hakyeon had sent them off earlier with nothing more than a mere nod when they’d breached the outer perimeter of the factory, but they all knew that their soft-hearted leader had caught up with each of them right before the mission, no doubt full of emotions that he must’ve spilled to them at one point, because Hakyeon might be tactical and smart and commanding, but deep down he’s never wanted to bring any of them into this plan and he’s worried some kind of harm might come their way.

Taekwoon’s hand never strayed from Sanghyuk’s wrist despite the bulky chemical concoctions hidden with them as they strolled through the quiet halls with brisk, purposeful steps. He whines and makes faces each time Sanghyuk beats him in a sparring match, or swipes the last piece of barbecued eel from under his nose, but for all that posing Taekwoon is infinitely fond of their youngest member. And Sanghyuk lets him take the lead as well, trusting in Taekwoon’s judgement as they sneak through the factory, silence so fragile it feels like one wrong step might send everything careening off path.

Hongbin and Jaehwan take to the roof— slight builds and agile sense of movement helping them sneak past the alarm system, up the emergency ladders, and into the heart of the factory. The tireless machines whirled in absolute synchronization beneath them as they snuck across the walkway. The air was cold, up here. Jaehwan was almost surprise his breath didn’t come out in little puffs.

Arming the bombs were simple. A quick pull of the pin, and the bright yellow liquid began bubbling immediately. All it needs is Hakyeon’s command, and the whole thing would then blow, ending it all.

Jaehwan was halfway down the walkway when he realizes he’s alone— he turns, frowning, and stops short when he sees Hongbin still standing by the bomb. His gaze was fixed somewhere below, down on the huge vats of frothing red liquid, the metal wires, and the hiss of the hydraulic press as it stamped through steel templates of human hearts.

“Binnie,” Jaehwan whispers, and Hongbin jolts, like he’s been startled. It takes him a moment to re-orient himself, but then he’s trotting over to catch up with Jaehwan, a tight smile on his face.

“Sorry,” he mumbles. “Got caught up.”

“With what?” Jaehwan tilts his head, and when Hongbin doesn’t answer, he reaches out to touch Hongbin’s face. “You’ve been really quiet recently. The others are worried.”

“Are they?” Hongbin asks in surprise. “Oh, no… I’ve just been thinking about this mission. We’ve been planning it for so long, stumbled into so many problems along the way… I almost thought we wouldn’t be able to complete the mission.”

“But we will,” Jaehwan says firmly, and he takes Hongbin’s hand, quickly leading the younger away from the charges. “We can do this.”

“Will it be worth it later, though?” Hongbin breathes, and Jaehwan almost stops. “We’ll have to go on the run again.”

Jaehwan opens his mouth, reassurances ready to pour out, but at that very moment, a red flare suddenly shoots up into the sky. It wobbles high into the air before it falls apart with a sharp _pop_  that echoes around the grid like a gunshot.

“Wonshik’s diversion,” Jaehwan says, squeezing Hongbin’s hand. “Let’s go!”

+

The empty lobby was the last place anyone would check for intruders; Hakyeon was leaning against one of the desks when Wonshik walked in, rubbing his cold palms together. Hakyeon immediately held his arms open, and Wonshik didn’t have to think twice before he went over, letting Hakyeon bundle him up in a hug.

“All set?” the leader murmurs, encasing Wonshik’s freezing hands with his own warm ones, and Wonshik nods.

“Everyone’s on their way,” he says quietly, eyes darting up to the shadows that slip and slide along the walls as Taekwoon, Sanghyuk, Jaehwan and Hongbin all converge. “Perfect timing.”

“Ready?”

“We all are,” Taekwoon answers, and Hakyeon nods. They drop their pins into his hand with a clatter; Hakyeon takes one master pin and holds up the detonator, a tiny black metal ball with glowing spots.

Hakyeon drops the pin in. It takes a moment, but there’s a little whir from the ball before it expands in size, gleaming red, and a low hum sounds throughout the whole building.

Quick as a cat, Hongbin darts forwards, a thin rectangular object falling from his hand and clattering to the floor without warning. He barrels into Hakyeon without warning, startling the others, and Sanghyuk looks down, eyes widening.

“Hongbin—” Hakyeon begins, and Hongbin closes his hand around the ball.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, tears welling up, and Sanghyuk shouts _noise grenade!_

The flash that follows and the ear-ringing _bang_  that resounds in the hallway is harsh enough to send them tumbling down. The next rumble shakes dust from the ceiling, a warning before the bombs go off.

Hongbin is nowhere to be found.

It’s Taekwoon who pulls himself together the fastest. He hauls Jaehwan upright and shakes him back into focus; together, they gather Hakyeon and Wonshik before pulling Sanghyuk out the door as well, sounds oddly muffled around them as they ran.

Hongbin is already gone, along with the detonator.

+

The sound came back like a very slow ascent from underwater. It had been a low-grade noise grenade, not meant to deafen or injure them, only to startle and give Hongbin a window of opportunity. The only question was why he needed one in the first place.

And shockingly enough, Hakyeon already had the answer.

“He’s been offered a deal,” their leader says softly, rubbing his temples as they quietly wait out the air raid bells sounding through the quiet countryside town. Their burglarizing outfits were gone, stashed away, and they sat in puffy coats with woollen scarves wrapped around their necks in a dingy twenty-four hour diner. The spotlights from the choppers surrounding the smoking remains of the Steel Heart Factory danced in the distance. “Actually, it’d be more accurate to say he’s being _threatened_.”

“By who?” Wonshik demands. “Why didn’t he say anything?”

Hakyeon smiles, sharp. “Our former employers. You remember them. They weren’t happy I left, but when I took all of you with me… anyway, Hongbin struck a deal. They get the detonator, they guarantee our freedom.”

“But what about Hongbin’s?” Jaehwan interjects, eyes wide, and Taekwoon looks away. The answer, and the weight of the sacrifice, hangs in the silence.

“Which is why we’re gonna go after him,” Hakyeon says, standing. “He’s not alone. We’re not going to leave him.”

“For sure,” Sanghyuk echoes, rising to his feet. The others follow suit, and the winter air breezes by them as they exit the diner as one.

“I suppose you have a plan,” Taekwoon murmurs, and Hakyeon nods, a smile quirking his lips.

“I do. Let’s go get our boy.”


	61. Ravi/Ken - Unexpected Arrivals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: raken prompt where ravi needs to summon a familiar to pass a test and accidentally summons jaehwan who happens to be the prince of hell in line for the throne
> 
> 16/08/12

Wonshik has seen his life flash before his eyes a fair few time before— once when he accidentally spilled the potion Hakyeon spent two weeks brewing for his finals, or that one time he volunteered to help Taekwoon practice for his license and left vowing never to sit in the same car together ever again.

But not once has he ever seen all twenty-three years of his life go by in a blink of an eye only to find himself stuck in the most unlikely places of all: the headmaster’s office, with a literal prince of hell sitting in the creaky old chair by his side.

The silence in the room would’ve been a highly uncomfortable one if it weren’t for the sounds of the demon prince’s silver bracelets jangling from his wrists as he fiddled with some kind of magical orb sitting on the headmaster’s desk, which whizzed and whirled with each flick and twist. Wonshik’s gaze remains fixated on the bit of chipping wallpaper on a spot behind the headmaster’s desk, back stiff and mouth dry. He can see the outlines of the board members through the frosted glass in the side room, heads all bent together in fervent discussion, and terror sinks lower into his stomach.

The demon clucks his tongue, and Wonshik spares him a quick glance. Black and silver hair, pushed up to reveal a smooth forehead. Bone white horns, protruding from the fluffy strands. Gleaming quicksilver eyes shining from pits of black, a long nose, and chalk-white lips that occasionally part to reveal the sharp fangs. The demon was wearing some kind of flowing robe, with delicate black chains draped over his shoulders and down his front. The jewelry gleamed against the skin showing on his chest, where a series of indiscernible tattoos shifted in some kind of slow, lazy fashion.

The sudden sensation of being watched washes over him and Wonshik’s gaze darts upwards, freezing when he sees the bottomless eyes look right at him. For a moment neither of them move, but then the demon flicks something on the orb, and it clicks in an oddly definitive way. Without breaking eye contact, the demon slides the orb back onto the desk and raises a long finger to his lips, puckering them as he whispers “ _Shh_ ” just as the side door opens again, and the headmaster steps out with his congregation.

“Mister Kim,” the old man says, and Wonshik gulps when he notices the solemn expression. “After much deliberation with my peers, I’m sure you can understand our decision when we say that we must halt your academic involvement at this school until we can understand what went… wrong, in your magical practices.”

“H-halt my involvement?” Wonshik croaks. “D-does this mean you’re suspending me?”

The headmaster sighs and removes his eyeglasses. “For the time being, yes,” he murmurs, and glances at the stern-faced board members. Wonshik opens and closes his mouth, a mixture of panic and fear rising in his throat.

“But—”

“I am to understand,” a soft voice interrupts, but everybody in the room instantly goes quiet. Wonshik shivers, feeling a chill down his spine, and turns his head robotically to look at the demon. The demon rises gracefully to his feet, a sharp smile on his face. “My existence here is so _repulsive_  that anyone associated with me must be punished?”

“W-well,” the headmaster stammers, glancing at the frozen board members, and the demon chuckles.

“Such insolence,” he whispers. “I am royalty in the underworld, and in another time humans would have been cowing beneath my feet at the mere mention of my name. But here we are, in the presence of some of the most powerful wizards in the world, as you claim to be, and yet it is a lowly fourth-year student who managed to muster enough power to summon _me_.”

A cold hand touches the top of his head, and Wonshik twitches, looking up at the demon. Another smirk, and he feels the hand petting him gently.

“I like this interesting young man,” the demon hums. “I think I’ll get along with him nicely, seeing as my life force is now officially tied to his after the Summoning. If your decision is to suspend him, I supposed we’d better make the best of our time together. Come along, Wonshik,” he adds, and Wonshik rises to his feet numbly. Anything to get out this room, honestly.

“Wait,” one of the board members begins, but the demon turns and slants him a look so sharp the man fell back with a high-pitched whimper. Wonshik watches, a reluctant sort of awe washing over him, and the demon gives him a little wink. They march out of the office without any more objections, and it’s not until the door closes behind them that the demon’s cool look melts into a more annoyed one. Curiously, it makes him look younger.

“Earth has changed a lot since I’ve last seen it,” he huffs, and gestures at Wonshik’s legs. “What _is_  this garment you’re wearing?”

“Uh… jeans?” Wonshik asks, looking down at his feet. There’s still ash streaked across his knees from the explosion of the demon’s arrival.

“Interesting,” the demon sniffs, and he gives a strange little shake. Instantly, all the robes and jewelry falls alway like smoke, the horns shrink, and the demon is dressed in a pair of jeans, t-shirt and sandals— the same as Wonshik’s attire. He inspects himself with a critical eye, and then sighs. “Well, at least I don’t stick out so much anymore.”

“That was amazing,” Wonshik blurts out, and the demon looks at him in surprise. A little grin tugs at the corners of his lips.

“Why, thank you,” the demon smirks. “I have a feeling you and I will get along just fine, lovely Wonshik. Now, let’s go, before my little trick goes off—”

From behind the office door, there was a magnificent _boom_  and yelps quickly followed, accompanied by the frenzied sounds of howling lost souls.

Wonshik stares at the door with dawning horror as he remembers the demon fiddling with the orb, and he hears a laugh from behind him.

“Come,” the demon says, taking his hand, and Wonshik turns on his heel, bolting after the enigmatic character that he’s, somehow, managed to link his life with.


	62. Hyuk/Ken - By Your Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: i just watched vixx with mozzi episode 2 so visual prompt of hyuken puppies sleeping right next to each other; fluffy hyuken, adorably doting each other when the other is asleep + waking up in each other's arms all sleepy groggy loving
> 
> 16/09/02

Going back home is always a bit of an experience.

It didn’t help that both of them were very last minute packers either— Jaehwan has a tendency to keep his suitcase open on the floor and absentmindedly drop stuff in, only to take it back out and replace it with something else later. The process repeats and it looks like he’s getting a lot of progress, until they’re two hours away from leaving and it turns out Jaehwan has only his satchel of snacks and two pairs of underwear tossed inside the suitcase. He’s still better than Sanghyuk though; Sanghyuk just doesn’t pack until it’s nearly time to leave.

Winter break is almost always spent at Jaehwan’s grandparents’ place. It’s a four hour train ride away from the city they’re both currently living in, located somewhere in a small village, the edge-of-the-woods type of homeliness. The train doesn’t run as often either, because of the village’s obscurity, so the two of them are usually sprinting their way through the packed terminal with their suitcases bumping along behind them, half of their stuff flying out of their bags as they shout at each other over the noisy chatter of other passengers trying to go home for the holidays too.

It’s exhilarating and exhausting, and something they probably should’ve figured would happen every year. So it’s no surprise that the moment they manage to flop into the cushy seats in their designated car, Jaehwan is slumping over onto Sanghyuk’s side before the train’s even left the station, eyelids drooping shut and hands falling limply off the armrest. And Sanghyuk simply hunkers down for a long ride and makes mental preparations, because he for sure isn’t going to the bathroom for another hour or so.

Sometimes, Jaehwan’s mouth will fall open when the train hits a slight bump, and it’s usually Sanghyuk’s cue to take a million pictures on his phone for blackmail material. When the train sways a little too much on a turn, and Jaehwanh’s head slides off his shoulder, he’s cautious not to wake his boyfriend as he tips Jaehwan back against him, fingers placed gently underneath Jaehwan’s chin. The backpack resting on Jaehwan’s thighs is lowered slowly into the floor, and the blanket Sanghyuk always stuffs into his own duffle bag is brought out. It’s baby pink, with a cute little duckies pattern, and it becomes their shared blanket, hiding the way Sanghyuk curls his hands around Jaehwan’s as he tucks Jaehwan’s head into the crook of his neck when they speed across the snowy landscape to their temporary home for the winter.

Jaehwan’s grandparents are old and kind, and Sanghyuk is so fond of them. They dote incessantly on the two whenever they come visit, cook them heaps of food that four people cannot reasonably consume, so it’s always a good thing that Jaehwan and Sanghyuk bring their appetites with them. It’s tradition for them to help decorate the house, go out into the woods and help chop firewood for the bonfire in the town square, and bake cookies to hand out to kids in the neighbourhood, all of whom are growing like beanstalks by the years.

There’s also Jaehwan’s old room, which houses its own little bits of tradition for the two of them. The little bunk bed cannot hold either of them up on the top bed anymore (not that they ever sleep separately anymore anyway), so all their luggage gets piled up on the wrapped mattress so there’s more leg room. There’s a faded height chart still taped on the inside of the closet door, alongside a few scribbles from Jaehwan’s kindergarten days and all the letters Sanghyuk sent him when he was doing an internship on the other side of the country during the summer. Even though neither of them have really grown much over the years, despite Sanghyuk’s insistence that he _still_  gets growing pains, they always measure their heights and mark the years on the paper. So far, there’s a crooked trail of little lines sprouting upwards with Jaehwan’s name scrawled on the side, and Sanghyuk’s name starts showing up around the top lines. Sanghyuk’s a shit who constantly pretends to mark Jaehwan’s line lower on the paper, at least until Jaehwan spins them around and pins Sanghyuk against the door, smirking as he presses close, pen drifting over Sanghyuk’s head until Sanghyuk leans down and places his lips on Jaehwan’s, kissing him softly.

At night, the bottom bunk is so tiny they’re literally sliding off the edges of the bed as they try to curl around one another, snorting when their noses bump or when someone’s leg inevitably ends up dangling off the side. They whisper and chuckle and try to pile another blanket over themselves as they sink into the mattress, watching the snow fall outside through the little window above the desk.

Sanghyuk always falls asleep first, despite his best attempts at keeping his eyes open, and with their close proximity Jaehwan is privy to some of the most beautiful expressions he’s ever seen on his boyfriend. He can spend hours just watching Sanghyuk sleep, expression peaceful and all the tension eased from his face. He wraps an arm around Sanghyuk’s waist, legs tangled together, and he’ll always press his lips lightly against Sanghyuk’s forehead.

They fall asleep together and wake up together, sharing each other’s warmth in a tangle of arms and gentle holds.


	63. Hyuk/Ken - The Seas Be Ours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt: mer!jaehwan saves prince sanghyuk~
> 
> 16/09/09

He doesn’t know what a _hero_ is, but he’s seen human children run around the harbour often enough to catch on to their stories. They’re usually ones that involve a pirate ship at sea, complete with an invisible vessel and horrendous sea creatures that attack them.

 _Heroes of the sea_ , the children scream, waving wooden swords and donning faux eyepatches, made of ripped cloth. _Conquerors of the ocean!_

Nowhere did any of those scenarios involve a saving a boy falling off a cliff into the dark waters, only to result in a whiny, sniffling, and downright obnoxious teenage brat clinging to his tail.

“Kid, I swear to all things unholy, if you don’t stop yanking on my fins I _will_  toss you back into the ocean.”

“Good!” the boy shouts, wiping a string of snot from his nose with his sleeve— Jaehwan cringes at the sight, slimy stuff really shouldn’t be coming out of humans’ orifices like that, right?— and tries to knock the kid off his tail with a series of hefty flops. It doesn’t work.

“Take me with you,” the boy whines, huge eyes pleading with Jaehwan. “Please, I don’t wanna go back to the castle.”

“You swallowed a lot of seawater, didn’t you?” Jaehwan says in exasperation, clawing to the slippery rock in an attempt to keep himself from sliding back into the ocean. Seriously, if he knew saving kid off the cliffside would’ve been this much of a pain, he would’ve just let him drown. “Not sure if you’ve noticed, but humans can’t breathe underwater.”

“I’ve noticed,” the kid snaps, clutching at a patch of seaweed. “But don’t merpeople have, like, magic, or whatever? Can’t you change me into a merman too?”

“Uh, no,” Jaehwan retorts, glowering. “Magic what? I’m not a sea witch, brat.”

“Okay, then can you take me to a sea witch?” the kid demands, and Jaehwan chokes.

“Absolutely not, unless you want them to turn the two of us into sea slugs for the rest of our lives.” The kid pouts, and Jaehwan rolls his eyes, a question popping up in his mind. “Also, why the hell do you want to stay in the ocean anyway? You nearly _drowned_  just now.”

The kid scowls and looks away, finally relenting his hold on Jaehwan’s tail in favour of hefting himself higher up on the rock. They’re tucked away in the shadows of the cliff, and the boy is starting to shiver from the cold water. “I’m not going back,” he sniffs. “In case you didn’t notice, I was trying to escape the guards coming for me.”

That catches Jaehwan’s interest. He shifts and gives the kid a once over. “Why guards?”

“Because I’m the kingdom’s prince, and I ran away,” the boy replies dully. Jaehwan raises an eyebrow. Okay then.

“Why were you running?”

“Because I mouthed off to my da— the king,” the boy admits, rubbing his skinny arms. There’s a scar on the inside of his elbow, curved like the crescent moon. “And he’s gonna lock me in my room again.”

“I take it that’s a bad thing?” Jaehwan ventures, and the boy glares at the water lapping up against the rock, angry.

“It’s not the worst of it,” he mutters, and Jaehwan sighs, feeling a pang of sympathy in his chest.

“Look, kid, I’m sorry you have a crap dad. That’s not right, but… the sea can’t offer you the kind of comfort you’re looking for either.”

“Anywhere is better than the palace,” the boy complains, and Jaehwan shakes his head.

“Not for a youngling like you. The creatures in the deep, they’ll eat you alive. And I’m not just talking about big sharks or giant squids,” he adds, because the boy looks like he’ll wrestle one just to get his point across. “There’s things you shouldn’t mess with in the deep. Things you shouldn’t trespass. It’s a different realm, kiddo. The way I won’t survive living in your world is the same as you not being able to live in mine.”

The boy slumps, chin jutting out pitifully. “Then what do I _do_ ,” he moans, holding his head in his hands. “I don’t wanna go home.”

Jaehwan chews his lip, flapping his tail against the rock, and he heaves a sigh. “Okay, listen here, brat, you know the fishermen’s shack down by the beach?” he asks, and the boy nods at once. “There’s a one-eyed fisherman who frequents the shack once every evening to lock up. His name is Taekwoon. If you can sell your sob story to him, and if you’re willing to do some grunt work, he might take you in.”

“I’ll do it,” the boy says at once, sitting bolt upright. There’s a fierce sort of determination shining in his eyes, and Jaehwan can feel himself sweating at once. Fuck, this kid is nuts.

“Are you _sure_? Taekwoon won’t go easy on you just because you’re a prince. Hell, he won’t even care if you’re a prince—”

“I can do it,” the boy interrupts. “Point the way.”

Jaehwan groans, burying his head in his hands for a moment before slipping back into the water.

“C’mon,” he grunts, holding his arms out to the kid. After some hesitation, the boy splashes gracelessly into the water as well, immediately clinging to Jaehwan. He wraps his arms around the human child tightly, and propels them swiftly through the water with strong kicks of his tail until they reach the shore, where the shack Jaehwan spoke of is sitting alone in the dunes, practically disintegrating. He swims the boy up to the shore until it’s shallow enough for him to walk.

“Good luck,” Jaehwan grunts, watching the boy struggle up.

“Thanks,” he says, shooting Jaehwan a grin. “I owe you one.”

“Don’t make promises to magical creatures lightly,” Jaehwan warns, wagging a finger. The kid narrows his eyes.

“You said you didn’t have any magical powers!”

“Did I?” Jaehwan smirks, showing his fangs, and the kid rolls his eyes. “Keep your nose clean, brat.”

“Sanghyuk,” the boy says, and Jaehwan lifts an eyebrow. The boy flushes, fiddling with his wet shirt. “That’s my name,” he mumbles, and Jaehwan smiles.

“Good luck then, Sanghyuk,” he replies, and shimmies back into the sea.

The last thing he sees is Sanghyuk’s face, full of curiosity and interest before the waves smooth over him, and Jaehwan descends back into the water.

+

[Nineteen years later]

“Haul ‘im in!” the raspy, panting voice of the poacher roars, disgusting excitement in his tone as his workers stand at the edge of dock, grunting and sweating as they fought to pull a net up.

Inside of it, Jaehwan writhes and snarls, every curse he’s ever known tumbling from his lips as he thrashes against the thick ropes. It chips at his scales, burns his sides, and suffocates him. He’s rising out of the water, despite his best efforts (he’s already knocked three other men in, and the water around him are tainted red, just like his fangs), he’s not getting out of this one.

“Lookie ‘ere, boys,” the poacher chuckles, crouching down to look Jaehwan in the eye. Jaehwan hisses, swiping at the ugly man, who laughs. “This one’ll fetch a pretty penny, won’t he?”

A small crowd has gathered along the dock, and he can see a trader’s port some ways up the hill. Jaehwan flops all over the wood, terror curling in the pit of his stomach. Damn it, damn it, _damn it_ —

“Let’s celebrate tonight!” the poacher shouts, waving a beefy hand into the air. “I’ll be a rich man after pawning this one off—!”

The flash comes before the bang, but the sound of the gunshot is so sharp everybody screams and leaps aside. Jaehwan twitches, clawing a the net tangled around him. What in the world?

“Or you might be dead,” a cheerful voice says conversationally, and gasps can be heard up and down the dock.

_Oh my god, it’s him, how can this be?_

_Who?_

_It’s the captain of the Fantasia._

_The demon of the sea himself._

A hand lands on the net, and Jaehwan jerks reflexively, snapping his teeth in anger, and a man’s voice says soothing, “Hey, hey, it’s alright. I’m not gonna hurt you. I know you, remember?”

Beneath the sleeve of rolled up shirt, there is a scar on the inside of his elbow, curved like the crescent moon. Jaehwan’s eyes widen, and the net is finally thrown off him.

By his side is a man, almost too well-dressed for a pirate, but undoubtably one who’s made himself comfortable at sea. The tanned, calloused skin of the pirate’s hands send jolts up Jaehwan’s spine as he helps him up, a bright look on his face.

“S- _Sanghyuk_?” Jaehwan splutters, hardly daring to believe his eyes, and Sanghyuk grins widely, delighted.

“I told you before,” the pirate says playfully, squeezing his hand. “ _I owe you one_.”


End file.
